Effective: March 23, 2018
Latest Legislation: House Bill 214 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Down syndrome" means a chromosome disorder associated either with an extra chromosome twenty-one, in whole or in part, or an effective trisomy for chromosome twenty-one.
(2) "Physician," "pregnant," and "unborn child" have the same meanings as in section 2919.16 of the Revised Code.
(B) No person shall purposely perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman if the person has knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion, in whole or in part, because of any of the following:
(1) A test result indicating Down syndrome in an unborn child;
(2) A prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome in an unborn child;
(3) Any other reason to believe that an unborn child has Down syndrome.
(C) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of performing or attempting to perform an abortion that was being sought because of Down syndrome, a felony of the fourth degree.
(D) The state medical board shall revoke a physician's license to practice medicine in this state if the physician violates division (B) of this section.
(E) Any physician who violates division (B) of this section is liable in a civil action for compensatory and exemplary damages and reasonable attorney's fees to any person, or the representative of the estate of any person, who sustains injury, death, or loss to person or property as the result of the performance or inducement or the attempted performance or inducement of the abortion. In any action under this division, the court also may award any injunctive or other equitable relief that the court considers appropriate.
(F) A pregnant woman on whom an abortion is performed or induced or attempted to be performed or induced in violation of division (B) of this section is not guilty of violating division (B) of this section or of attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or complicity in committing a violation of division (B) of this section.
(G) If any provision of this section is held invalid, or if the application of any provision of this section to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision does not affect any other provisions or applications of this section and sections 2919.11 to 2919.193 of the Revised Code that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section and sections 2919.11 to 2919.193 of the Revised Code are severable as provided in section 1.50 of the Revised Code. In particular, it is the intent of the general assembly that any invalidity or potential invalidity of a provision of this section is not to impair the immediate and continuing enforceability of any other provisions of this section and sections 2919.11 to 2919.193 of the Revised Code. It is furthermore the intent of the general assembly that the provisions of this section are not to have the effect of repealing or limiting any other laws of this state.
(H) The general assembly may, by joint resolution, appoint one or more of its members who sponsored or cosponsored ___B___ of the 132nd general assembly to intervene as a matter of right in any case in which the constitutionality of this section is challenged.