Led by a Republican majority for the first time in nearly 100 years, Kentucky's House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound scan, according to a report published January 5 by Reuters.
The bill, which passed by an 83-12 vote, would require a physician or qualified technician to perform the ultrasound scan and position the screen so that women may view the images, according to Reuters. In addition, the medical staff will be required to describe what the images show, including the size of the fetus and any visible organs or appendages.
Reuters reported that 25 states have laws regarding ultrasound and abortions, but only three states require medical staff to display and describe the images. Kentucky House and Senate leaders plan to meet this weekend to pass bills to be sent to Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who is expected to sign the preabortion ultrasound bill into law.
