Under the bill’s detailed draft, any doctor or other licensed practitioner who intentionally or recklessly performs or induces an abortion in violation of the law could be subject to discipline, including the loss of their medical license.
Women who have abortions would face no penalties, under the measure. It also allows certain exceptions for victims of rape or incest, as long as the incident is reported to law enforcement.
The measure was immediately denounced by abortion rights advocates on Tuesday.
“After weeks of closed-door debate, the West Virginia Legislature voted to ban abortion. It’s impossible to overstate what a dark day this is for liberty and the state,” the Atlantic Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia tweeted. . Alisa Clements, director of public relations for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said in a statement that “there is nothing more extreme than a law that takes away people’s freedom to govern their own bodies, and our state lawmakers have shamefully forced to strike down this despicable bill. our throats, behind closed doors in a few hours.”
As of July, abortion was legal up to 20 weeks in West Virginia after a state court judge said he had decided to block a state abortion ban that dates back to the 1800s.
Legislation seeking to limit access to due process in the state initially faced headwinds during a special session in July when the Republican-led Legislature failed to reach a consensus. But the House on Tuesday joined Indiana lawmakers who have voted to ban abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, finding in late June that there was no longer a federal constitutional right to the procedure. A separate effort last week in South Carolina to push for a near-total abortion ban stalled after a handful of Republican senators joined with Democrats to block the bill.
This story has been updated with additional details on Tuesday.
