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To enact section 2919.124 of the Revised Code | 1 |
relative to requiring paternal consent before an | 2 |
abortion may be performed. | 3 |
Section 1. That section 2919.124 of the Revised Code be | 4 |
enacted to read as follows: | 5 |
Sec. 2919.124. (A) As used in this section, "viable" has the | 6 |
same meaning as in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code. | 7 |
(B)(1) When the fetus that is the subject of the procedure is | 8 |
viable, no person shall perform or induce an abortion on a | 9 |
pregnant woman without the written informed consent of the father | 10 |
of the fetus. | 11 |
(2) When the fetus that is the subject of the procedure is | 12 |
not viable, no person shall perform or induce an abortion on a | 13 |
pregnant woman without the written informed consent of the father | 14 |
of the fetus. | 15 |
(C)(1) A pregnant woman seeking to abort her pregnancy shall | 16 |
provide, in writing, the identity of the father of the fetus to | 17 |
the person who is to perform or induce the abortion. | 18 |
(2) No pregnant woman seeking to abort her pregnancy shall | 19 |
fail to comply with division (B)(1) of this section. | 20 |
(3) No pregnant woman seeking to abort her pregnancy shall | 21 |
provide to the person who is to perform or induce the abortion the | 22 |
identity of a man as the father of the fetus if the man is not the | 23 |
father of the fetus. | 24 |
(D) No man shall give a consent pursuant to division (B)(1) | 25 |
or (2) of this section as the father of the fetus if the man knows | 26 |
that he is not the father of the fetus. | 27 |
(E) No person shall cause a man to believe that the man is | 28 |
the father of a fetus for the purpose of obtaining the consent | 29 |
required by division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, if the person | 30 |
knows that the man is not the father of the fetus. | 31 |
(F) If, pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, the | 32 |
pregnant woman identifies two or more men as possible fathers of | 33 |
the fetus, the person who is to perform or induce the abortion | 34 |
shall perform a paternity test, or cause a paternity test to be | 35 |
performed, to determine the father of the fetus prior to accepting | 36 |
any consent required under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section | 37 |
and prior to performing or inducing an abortion of the pregnant | 38 |
woman's pregnancy. No person shall perform or induce an abortion | 39 |
in violation of this division. | 40 |
(G) It is not a defense to a violation of division (B)(1) or | 41 |
(2) or (C)(2) of this section that the woman does not know the | 42 |
identity of the father of the fetus. | 43 |
(H)(1) Divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply | 44 |
if the pregnant woman provides to the person who is to perform or | 45 |
induce the abortion either of the following: | 46 |
(a) A copy of a police report or a complaint, indictment, | 47 |
information, or other court document that gives the person who is | 48 |
to perform or induce the abortion reasonable cause to believe that | 49 |
the woman became pregnant as the result of rape or incest. | 50 |
(b) A copy of a paternity test that gives the person who is | 51 |
to perform or induce the abortion reasonable cause to believe that | 52 |
the woman became pregnant as the result of incest. | 53 |
(2) This section does not apply if the abortion is necessary, | 54 |
in appropriate medical judgment, to preserve the life or the | 55 |
physical health of the pregnant woman. | 56 |
(3) Divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply if | 57 |
the father of the fetus is deceased at the time of the abortion. | 58 |
(I) The written consent required under division (B)(1) or (2) | 59 |
of this section, the written identification required in division | 60 |
(C)(1) of this section, and the results of a paternity test | 61 |
performed pursuant to division (F) of this section are | 62 |
confidential, are not public records under section 149.43 of the | 63 |
Revised Code, and shall be viewed only by the pregnant woman, the | 64 |
man claiming to be or the man identified as being the father of | 65 |
the fetus, the person who is to perform or induce the abortion, | 66 |
any law enforcement officer investigating a violation of this | 67 |
section, and a court and jury in a criminal case involving an | 68 |
alleged violation of this section. | 69 |
(J) Whoever violates this section is guilty of abortion | 70 |
fraud, a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the person previously | 71 |
has pleaded guilty to or has been convicted of a violation of this | 72 |
section, abortion fraud is a felony of the fifth degree. | 73 |