MONTGOMERY, Alabama (LifeSiteNews) – An Alabama state Senator introduced a bill that would require abortionists to tell patients how much money they make committing abortions and to describe their pre-born babies’ nerve endings and physical characteristics.
State Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, introduced the bill. Called the Ultrasound Access Act, it would require abortionists to make a “conflict of interest disclaimer” about how much money they lose if a woman chooses life.
This would consist of “a written and oral statement divulging the abortion provider’s gross income from the previous fiscal year, as well as the percentage of the income that was obtained from the performance of abortions.” Included in this disclaimer would be “a statement concerning the monetary loss to the abortion provider which would result from the woman’s decision to carry the pregnancy to term.”
Abortions can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
At least 48 hours before committing an abortion, abortionists would be required to inform women about the procedure’s risks. This information includes “a description of immediate and long-term physical and psychological risks involved in the abortion procedure, including, but not limited to, the risks of infection, hemorrhage, cervical or uterine perforation, risks to subsequent pregnancies, and infertility.”
They would also be required to disclose “a thorough and accurate description of the proposed method for performing the abortion, including information on the probable gestational age of the unborn child at the time the abortion is to be performed and the probable anatomical and physiological characteristics of an unborn child at that age.”
Information about the pre-born child would include a “description of all relevant features of the sonogram with audible heartbeat if present” and a “description of the development of the child’s nerve endings and the child’s ability to feel pain at each stage of the development.” Mothers would also be given “relevant information on the potential survival of the child at his or her current stage of development.”
Abortionists would have to tell women where they may receive financial assistance, prenatal care, neonatal care, and other services if they wish to continue their pregnancies.
Failure to comply with the law could mean fines up to $1 million for abortionists.
The ACLU of Alabama says it will challenge the law if it passes, predicting, “the state would likely have to pay more attorney fees” if the law is struck down.
“We shouldn’t let the ACLU’s prediction of a court case dictate what laws we pass in the state of Alabama,” Birmingham-based Father Terry Gensemer of the Charismatic Episcopal Church for Life told LifeSiteNews. “This seems to be a reasonable piece of legislation, and worth whatever money it costs the state to defend the lives of pre-born children and raise the standard of care for pregnant women.”