CONCORD, N.H. — The House is voting this week on a bill that would require pregnant women to wait 24 hours and receive explicit information on fetal development before getting an abortion in New Hampshire.

The House voted 189-151 to pass the bill, then decided to send it to a second committee to review the penalties. That committee recommends removing the harshest penalty, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison for violating the law. Violators would still be open to malpractice lawsuits or disciplinary action by the state board of medicine.

Opponents argue the information is biased and forces doctors to read from a script rather than discuss the situation with their patient.

Supporters say women need to have the information to make such an important decision.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.