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SF0083 • 2022

Prohibiting chemical abortions.

AN ACT relating to abortions; prohibiting chemical abortion drugs for abortions as specified; providing exceptions; providing a criminal penalty for violating the prohibition on use of chemical abortion drugs for abortions; providing definitions; specifying exceptions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Abortion Crime Healthcare
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Senator Salazar
Last action
2022-03-08
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and has no current legal effect as of the provided date.

Prohibiting Chemical Abortion Drugs

The bill prohibits the use of chemical abortion drugs in Wyoming for abortions and sets exceptions and penalties.

What This Bill Does

  • Bans anyone from using chemical abortion drugs to end a pregnancy.
  • Allows the sale, use, prescription or administration of contraceptive agents before conception.
  • Permits treatment of natural miscarriages according to medical guidelines.
  • Exempts treatments necessary to protect a woman's life from an imminent physical peril.
  • Makes it illegal for doctors and others to violate this ban with penalties including up to six months in jail and fines.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Doctors and other healthcare providers who prescribe or use chemical abortion drugs.
  • Women seeking abortions using chemical methods.

Terms To Know

Chemical abortion drug
Drugs like RU-486, mifepristone, misoprostol, mifeprex, and mifegyne used to end a pregnancy.
Imminent peril
A physical condition that substantially endangers the life of the pregnant woman.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in its session and has no current legal effect.
  • It does not address mental health conditions or self-harm risks as exceptions to the ban.

Bill History

  1. 2022-03-08 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2022-03-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2022-03-02 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 20-9-1-0-0

  4. 2022-03-01 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  5. 2022-02-28 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  6. 2022-02-23 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  7. 2022-02-23 Senate

    S10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  8. 2022-02-18 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor 25-4-1-0-0

  9. 2022-02-14 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  10. 2022-02-14 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
22LSO-0338
2022
STATE OF WYOMING
22LSO-0338
Numbered
2.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0083

Prohibiting chemical abortions.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Salazar, Biteman, Boner, French, Hutchings, McKeown and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Bear, Gray, Jennings, Neiman, Ottman and Rodriguez-Williams

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to abortions; prohibiting chemical abortion drugs for abortions as specified; providing exceptions; providing a criminal penalty for violating the prohibition on use of chemical abortion drugs for abortions; providing definitions; specifying exceptions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
‑
6
‑
120 is created to read:

35
‑
6
‑
120.

Chemical abortion drugs prohibited; exceptions; penalty.

(a)

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense, sell, transfer or use any chemical abortion drug in the state for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion.

(b)

The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to:

(i)

The sale, use, prescription or administration of any contraceptive agent administered before conception or before pregnancy can be confirmed through conventional medical testing;

(ii)

Treatment of a natural miscarriage according to currently accepted medical guidelines;

(iii)

Treatment necessary to protect the woman from an imminent peril that substantially endangers her life, according to appropriate medical judgment.

"Imminent peril" as used in this paragraph refers exclusively to a
physical, and not mental, condition.
No medical treatment may form the basis for an exception under this paragraph if it is based on a claim or diagnosis that the pregnant woman will engage in conduct which she intends to result in her death or other self
‑
harm.

(c)

Except as otherwise provided in this section, any physician or other person who violates subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, a fine not to exceed nine thousand dollars ($9,000.00), or both.

(d)

A woman upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted in which a chemical abortion drug is used shall not be criminally prosecuted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

Section 2.

W.S. 35
‑
6
‑
101(a)(vi), by creating a new paragraph (xii) and by amending and renumbering (xii) as (xiii) is amended to read:

35
‑
6
‑
101.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in the act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(vi)

"Pregnant"
or "pregnancy"
means that condition of a woman who has a human embryo or fetus within her as the result of conception;

(xii)

"Chemical abortion drug" means RU
‑
486, mifepristone, misoprostol,
mifeprex
, mifegyne or any substantially similar generic or non
‑
generic drug or chemical dispensed for purposes of causing an abortion;

(xii)
(xiii)

"This act" means W.S. 35
‑
6
‑
101 through
35
‑
6
‑
119
35
‑
6
‑
120
.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2022
.

(END)

1
SF0083