ATLANTA – A Georgia state lawmaker wants to ban all abortions once an unborn child reaches 20 weeks.
Under HB 89, known as the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” physicians would be barred from performing abortions until after determining “the probable gestational age.” If the unborn child is more than 20 weeks old, the abortion would be illegal.
“We should take every reasonable measure possible to ensure the safety of the unborn,” Allen Peake, R-Macon, said in a news release. “Substantial medical evidence indicates that at 20 weeks after fertilization, a baby in the womb is capable of feeling pain. This compelling medical evidence requires us to take the steps necessary to protect all human life from the cruel infliction of pain, suffering, and death.”
Under the proposal, any physician who conducts an abortion would face “medical licensing sanctions.” There are exceptions for pregnancies that threaten the life of the mother or another baby in the womb, according to Peake.
