Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed a law, which bans late-term abortions.
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has signed a law, which bans late-term abortions. The Kansas's Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act bars abortions at 22 weeks gestation, generally 20 weeks after conception, except for those necessary to save the mother's life.
"This is a historic day. So many determined people have worked long and hard to get these bills passed and I am happy to sign them into law today," Politico quoted Brownback as saying.
These bills are a reflection of the culture of life that is being embraced all across Kansas. They represent a mainstream, bipartisan and common sense approach to a divisive issue," he added.
The legislation states, "By 20 weeks after fertilization, the unborn child reacts to stimuli that would be recognized as painful if applied to an adult human."
The legislation comes after a similar law was enacted in Nebraska last year.
According to the National Right for Life Committee, which drafted the model law, Idaho and Oklahoma state legislatures have also passed similar legislations and legislators in Alabama, Minnesota and Oregon have introduced similar initiatives.
Advertisement
So far, legislators have introduced 916 measures related to reproductive health, 56 percent of which look to restrict abortion access, according to a new report released by the Guttmacher Institute.
Advertisement