Idaho Passes Texas-Style Bill Banning Abortion After Six Weeks

USA Today: Idaho Abortion Ban Bill, Modeled After Texas, Heads To Governor's Desk
Idaho became the first state to pass abortion legislation modeled after Texas' six-week ban on Monday. The Idaho House voted 51-14 with no Democratic support to pass a bill that would allow potential family members to sue any doctor who performs an abortion during a pregnancy longer than six weeks. The state Senate had already approved the bill, which now goes to Gov. Brad Little, who is likely to sign it. Little, a Republican, signed a similar so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill into law last year. That measure includes a trigger provision that requires a federal court to rule in favor of it – which hasn’t happened yet. (Tebor, 3/14)

Idaho Statesman: Last Month Of Abortion In Idaho? Texas-Inspired Bill Heads To Gov. Little’s Desk 
“They did a very clever thing,” said Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, the Idaho bill’s House sponsor. “They allowed for a civil cause of action, meaning that you could be sued in civil court if someone performs an illegal abortion post-heartbeat.” The Idaho Family Policy Center helped craft the private enforcement legislation and lobbied the Legislature to prevent most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Around five or six weeks is generally when an ultrasound can pick up a so-called “fetal heartbeat,” though specialized physicians have said the sounds are more accurately described as electrical activity. (Suppe, 3/14)

AP: Lawmakers Send Texas-Styled Abortion Bill To Idaho Governor 
“This bill makes sure that the people of Idaho can stand up for our values and do everything in our power to prevent the wanton destruction of innocent human life,” Republican Rep. Steven Harris, the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement after the vote. The measure has already passed the Senate and now heads to Republican Gov. Brad Little. Marissa Morrison, Little’s spokeswoman, said Monday the governor hadn’t seen the bill and doesn’t comment on pending legislation. (Ridler, 3/15)

NBC News: Idaho Passes Texas-Inspired Bill To Ban Abortion At 6 Weeks
There are some differences between the Idaho bill and the Texas statute. The Idaho measure is narrower; it would allow the potential father, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles of a "preborn child" to sue an abortion provider for a minimum of $20,000 in damages within four years of an abortion. The Texas law allows any citizen to file a lawsuit, with the possibility of being awarded $10,000 by a court. (Gregorian, 3/14)

In abortion news from Colorado —

CNN: Abortion Rights Bill Passes Colorado House 
The Colorado House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation that seeks to codify the right to an abortion in the state. The Reproductive Health Equity Act -- which cleared the chamber 40-24 -- now heads to the state's Democratic-controlled Senate, where it's expected to pass. The legislation states that "every individual has a fundamental right to use or refuse contraception; every pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state." The bill also prohibits state and local entities from denying, restricting, interfering with or discriminating against a person's decision to either use contraception, give birth or have an abortion. (Simonson, 3/14)

And more on reproductive rights —

Kansas City Star: What Planned Parenthood’s Missouri Lawsuit Means For Patients 
The state of Missouri has decided to no longer cover healthcare provided to Medicaid patients at Planned Parenthood’s 11 local health centers. In response, the reproductive health and family planning organization is suing the state, and absorbing the cost of care for its patients. “Not only does this defunding defy a 2020 state Supreme Court ruling that held that defunding Planned Parenthood through the state’s budget is unconstitutional, it also violates federal Medicaid law,” the organization wrote on Thursday, March 10.Missouri is the fourth state to ban reimbursements to the group, a move sometimes referred to as “defunding” Planned Parenthood. (Wallington, 3/14)

NPR: Can States Limit Abortion And Gender-Affirming Treatments Outside Their Borders?
Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. have unleashed a wave of state legislation attempting to restrict access to abortions and to gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth by allowing lawsuits to be filed against anyone who helps them. But now there's a new twist in what appears to be a broader Republican strategy: Representatives in multiple states are pushing bills that would attempt to limit what residents can and can't do even beyond state lines. Recently in Missouri, a state representative introduced a measure that would let people sue anyone they suspect of helping a resident get an abortion in another state. (Romo, 3/15)