Utah Abortion Anesthesia Bill (SB 234)

SB 234 would require a physician to administer anesthesia to a pregnant patient having an abortion at 20 weeks gestation or later.

Anesthesia would not be required if:

• The abortion was necessary to serious risk or death to the pregnant patient;
• The abortion is performed has a diagnosable and lethal defect, confirmed by two physicians who practice maternal fetal medicine; or
• The treating physician and one other physician concur that the anesthesia would cause serious risk or death to the pregnant patient.

The bill is based on the heavily disputed belief that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks.

People