Kansas Legislature Takes Steps to Tighten Restrictions on Later Abortions

Associated Press: Abortion bill passes House, moves to Senate (3/18):

The House passes a bill supporters say will lead to tighter restrictions on late-term abortions.

The 84-40 vote Tuesday sent the bill to the Senate. The sponsor, Olathe Republican Lance Kinzer, said the lopsided vote indicated that members thought the legislation was reasonable.

The legislation doesn't outlaw any legal procedure, including late-term abortions that involve a fetus determined to be 22 weeks or older.

Among other things, it requires abortion providers to give a woman having a late-term abortion copies of documents stating the reason for the procedure.

For any abortion, doctors would have to provide ultrasound images and heartbeat sounds to the woman at least 30 minutes before the procedure.