In the near future, I intend to re-introduce legislation which will shift our focus on abortion and abortion law to focus on protecting the baby. My legislation has been recognized nationally as the Heartbeat Bill.

States all over the country are looking at abortion. The Pennsylvania Legislature has previously considered changing the limit on abortion to 20 weeks. While this is a significant move in the right direction, the fact is that even at 20 weeks abortion stops a baby’s beating heart. My legislation, like that which has been introduced in Congress, a beating heart will stop abortion.

My legislation will require all physicians, before proceeding with an abortion, to determine whether the baby has a heartbeat. If the baby has a heartbeat, then the abortion cannot be performed. This will eliminate the need to a gestational age in legislation and will honor the science which shows that more than 90 percent of all pregnancies are viable in which a heartbeat is detected.

This legislation will be another great rallying cry for us to save babies around this state and possibly around the nation. I hope you will support my quest to pass this legislation in the Pennsylvania State Legislature.

Previous co-sponsors:  Struzzi, Schmitt, Hamm, Cook, Knowles, Fee, Metcalfe, Greiner, Owlett, Rothman, Topper, Jones, Smith, Hickernell, Kauffman, Diamond, Bernstine, Dunbar, Pickett, Moul, B. Miller, Rapp, Gleim, Ryan, Rowe, Cox, Zimmerman, Maloney, Keefer, Mercuri, Wheeland, Gillen, Hershey, Kerwin, Schemel, Pennycuick, Jozwiak, Roae, Armanini, Helm, Fritz, Davanzo, Marshall, Flood, Gregory, Irvin, Oberlander, Bonner, Warner, Lewis, DelRosso, Sankey, Mustello, Wentling, Lewis, Sonney, Rigby, Saylor, Causer, E. Nelson, Rossi, Klunk, Stambaugh and Kail

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0283: 18-3202(b)