Draconian MI Legislation

SB 0013--Fetal Personhood

 This bill would amend the state’s legal code to include “fetus” as part of the definition of “individual” in every part of the law. Expanding the legal definition of a person to include “fetus” has obvious implications for abortion rights.  This also has chilling implications for victims of rape. The Personhood amendment would criminalize the use of the day after pill even in cases of rape and incest raising the probability of rape victims being forced to carry their attacker’s fetus to full term. If a child results from rape, the rapist has parental rights to that child. Hence the rapist has legal access to the victim for 18 years. The rapist will have every right that any father has in relation to his child including custody matters and prevention of the woman s ability to move across state lines. The rapist would also be able to contest any attempt by the victim to adopt the now child. This bill would also extend civil liberties to ectopic and molar pregnancies which always result in fatality for woman and fetus if not terminated. .

SB 0025/HB 4119--Disposal of Fetal Remains

This bill, regulating the disposal of fetal remains, would likely be used to further hamper clinics’ ability to function by creating tighter regulations. It could also have questionable implications for women suffering miscarriages.      This is designed to add unnecessary costs to the procedure, and will also apply to the cost of a miscarriage. 

SB 0051--Prohibits Research on Aborted Embryos and Fetuses

SB 0135--Parental Notification for Abortion

This bill would strengthen the parental notification laws by making it impossible for a minor to appeal a court’s decision not to grant a waiver to the parental notification law (it is already law in MI that minors must have parental notification to obtain an abortion).

SB 0313/HB 4433--Ultrasound Equipment

This bill would mandate that a woman receive an ultrasound using “the most technologically advanced equipment available” a minimum of two hours prior to obtaining an abortion. It would also require that the monitor be turned toward the woman, and that the doctor (or technician) give a detailed description of the current fetal development during the ultrasound.   The term "most technologically advanced equipment available" is intentionally vague, and is not required of any other medical facility for any procedure other than abortive care. This proposed law is clearly meant to be punitive. It is completely medically unnecessary. It is designed to add guilt and cost to the procedure. The present capital cost of the "most technologically advanced ultrasound machine available" is $115,000. Next week who knows what the cost will be. 

SB 0420/HB 4688--Prescription of Medical Abortion

Prohibits the prescription of drugs to chemically induce abortion without a prior physical examination.

SB 0523/HB 4715--Regulating Abortions After 19 Weeks

This bill would mandate that all abortions post-19 weeks take place in a facility with a neonatal care unit, to potentially save the life of an infant that was delivered alive after an attempted abortion. In addition to the obliviously problematic implications of trying to “save” aborted fetuses, this would severely limit the availability of such late term abortions (which are nearly always done for serious health reasons).

SB 0612, 0613, 0614/HB 4143, 4147, 4776—Insurance

All prohibit the coverage of abortion via state health insurance, except through the purchase of an additional rider (which does not actually exist as an option).

SB 0876--Liability Insurance for Abortion Providers

Strengthens the requirements for liability insurance for abortion providers, making it more difficult for physicians to provide abortions.

HB 4799--Prohibition of “Coercive” Abortion

This bill would make it a crime to coerce a woman to have an abortion against her will, and could target--among others--any spouse/partner (or parent of a minor) who encouraged a woman to seek an abortion (although it is perfectly legal to coerce a woman not to have an abortion).

HB 5134

would mandate an “oral screening” of all abortion-seeking women to determine whether they were being coerced into their decision, and a further 24-hour waiting period would be enforced if the screening revealed evidence of coercion. 

HB 5242--State Funding for Abortion Providers

This bill would prohibit any state contracting with facilities that provide abortion. No hospitals or clinics which provide abortion as even a tiny portion of their services would be eligible for any state funds or contracts.

HB 5343--”Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act”

This bill would prohibit all abortions at 20 weeks gestation and beyond, except in cases where death of the mother would otherwise result. The bill specifically spells out that emotional and psychological concerns do not count as medical reasons for abortion, and that the threat of suicide does not qualify as a threat to the mother’s life.

Note: All short bill titles used here are simplified labels for them, not official titles (unless in quotes). The summaries have been written by several women, including Angi Becker Stevens and Connie Christian. These summaries are extremely simplified compared to the actual legal text. Anyone with questions or comments can contact me at angi.becker.stevens@gmail.com

Additionally, it is worth noting that Michigan currently has an anti-choice majority in both the House and Senate, as well as an anti-choice governor. Any and all of these bills are likely to actually become law.