SD Senate Passes Bill Requiring 72-Hour Waiting Period Before Abortions

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A bill that would require women to wait 72 hours and receive counseling before getting an abortion has passed the South Dakota senate.

The bill, if signed into law, would require women to get consent from their doctors before they could go through with an abortion, once the doctor has determined that the decision is “voluntary, uncoerced, and informed.” In addition, before the doctor can give even his or her consent, the woman must attend counseling sessions at a “pregnancy help center,” which can’t perform abortions, have an affiliation with a group or doctor who performs abortions, or ever refer pregnant women for abortions.

Even after all that, the appointment can’t be scheduled until 72 hours after the doctor has approved.

The Associated Press reports that the bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 21-13, and will now be sent to Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who will decide whether to sign it. It passed the House by a vote of 49-1 last week.

From the AP:

Daugaard, who generally opposes abortion rights, declined to tell The Associated Press if he intends to sign the bill.

“I haven’t looked at it,” he said, adding that he had not studied the bill earlier because of the possibility it could be amended.

The state already has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, and made headlines recently for considering a vaguely-worded bill that critics said would have provided a defense for someone who murders an abortion doctor. The bill was quickly shelved.

Late Update: Gov. Daugaard told the Rapid City Journal today that he’s “inclined to sign” the bill.

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