HB 166, Down Syndrome Nondiscrimination Abortion Act, seeks to protect unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome from termination based solely on the diagnosis.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, contains a number of provisions related to the aforementioned protection: it requires the Department of Health to create and publish information on Down syndrome, requires a pregnant woman be provided information prior to receiving an abortion when prenatal screenings indicate a Down syndrome diagnosis and, among other provisions, prohibits a person from performing, inducing or attempting to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman seeking the abortion solely based on a Down syndrome diagnosis.
Utah is not the first state to try and pass such protections, and the bill contains a provision essentially putting itself on hold until such time as ongoing litigation in other states has been resolved. The bill passed both the House and Senate, and was sent to the governor for his consideration. You can read or check out audio/video of the bill here. Tags: bramble, Down syndrome, hb 166, utah legislature, utah senate