SB591

Senate Bill 591, known as the 'Race Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act,' proposes to prohibit abortions performed solely on the basis of the race of the unborn child. The bill requires physicians to inquire if a patient knows the race of the unborn child and mandates a review of the patient's full pregnancy medical records before performing an abortion. Violations of this act are classified as Class A misdemeanors, and physicians face license suspension or revocation and potential civil liability. The bill allows for civil actions to be brought by the woman, her parent, guardian, or spouse, and provides for injunctive relief. It explicitly protects the woman undergoing the abortion from criminal or civil liability and requires the preservation of her anonymity in legal proceedings. The act contains a contingent effective date, meaning its provisions would only trigger if current, stricter state laws restricting abortion are enjoined, repealed, or amended.