Alabama 2024 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB13 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	SB13INTRODUCED
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3	3	SB13
4	4	XYLQZZZ-1
5	5	By Senator Figures
6	6	RFD: Judiciary
7	7	First Read: 06-Feb-24
8	8	PFD: 05-Jan-24
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14	14	6 XYLQZZZ-1 01/05/2024 GP (L)lg 2023-3487
15	15	Page 1
16	16	PFD: 05-Jan-24
17	17	SYNOPSIS:
18	18	The state constitution affirms that it is the
19	19	public policy of the state to support the sanctity of
20	20	unborn life and the rights of unborn children,
21	21	including the right to life.
22	22	This bill would propose an amendment to the
23	23	Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to abortion,
24	24	to establish the individual right to make one's own
25	25	reproductive decisions, including contraception,
26	26	fertility treatment, continuing one's own pregnancy,
27	27	miscarriage care, and abortion.
28	28	This bill would prohibit the state from
29	29	burdening, penalizing, prohibiting, interfering with,
30	30	or discriminating against an individual's voluntary
31	31	exercise of the right to make his or her own
32	32	reproductive decisions, unless the state does so in
33	33	the least restrictive means and to advance the
34	34	individual's health in accordance with evidence-based
35	35	standards of care.
36	36	This bill would authorize the state to prohibit
37	37	abortion after fetal viability and would define the
38	38	term "fetal viability."
39	39	This bill would also prohibit the state from
40	40	prohibiting an abortion if the abortion is necessary to
41	41	protect the pregnant individual's life or health.
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71	71	protect the pregnant individual's life or health.
72	72	A BILL
73	73	TO BE ENTITLED
74	74	AN ACT
75	75	Proposing to repeal and replace Section 36.06 of the
76	76	Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to abortion; to
77	77	establish the individual right to reproductive decisions,
78	78	including abortion; to prohibit certain state action that
79	79	prohibits or interferes with an individual's voluntary
80	80	exercise of the right to make reproductive decisions; and to
81	81	limit when the state may burden or prohibit the individual
82	82	right to make reproductive decisions.
83	83	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
84	84	Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
85	85	of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
86	86	PROPOSED AMENDMENT
87	87	Section 36.06 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022,
88	88	is repealed and replaced to read as follows:
89	89	Section 36.06
90	90	(a) Every individual has the right to make and carry
91	91	out one's own reproductive decisions, including, but not
92	92	limited to, decisions on each of the following:
93	93	(1) Contraception.
94	94	(2) Fertility treatment.
95	95	(3) Continuing one's own pregnancy.
96	96	(4) Miscarriage care.
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126	126	(4) Miscarriage care.
127	127	(5) Abortion.
128	128	(b) The state shall not directly or indirectly burden,
129	129	penalize, prohibit, interfere with, or discriminate against
130	130	either of the following, unless the state demonstrates that it
131	131	is using the least restrictive means to advance the
132	132	individual's health in accordance with widely accepted and
133	133	evidence-based standards of care:
134	134	(1) An individual's voluntary exercise of the rights
135	135	provided in this section.
136	136	(2) An individual or entity that assists an individual
137	137	exercising the rights provided in this section.
138	138	(c)(1) Abortion may be prohibited after fetal
139	139	viability. For purposes of this section, the term "fetal
140	140	viability" means the point in pregnancy when, in the
141	141	professional judgment of the pregnant patient's treating
142	142	physician, the fetus has a significant likelihood of survival
143	143	outside the uterus with reasonable measures. Fetal viability
144	144	is determined on a case-by-case basis.
145	145	(2) Abortion may not be prohibited if, in the
146	146	professional judgment of the pregnant patient's treating
147	147	physician, it is necessary to protect the pregnant patient's
148	148	life or health.
149	149	Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the
150	150	Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as
151	151	appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional
152	152	paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions:
153	153	change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation
154	154	for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
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184	184	for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
185	185	grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise
186	186	internal or external citations and cross-references; and
187	187	translate effective dates.
188	188	END OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT
189	189	Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment
190	190	shall be held in accordance with Sections 284 and 285 of the
191	191	Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws of this
192	192	state. The appropriate election official shall assign a ballot
193	193	number for the proposed constitutional amendment on the
194	194	election ballot and shall set forth the following description
195	195	of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
196	196	constitutional amendment:
197	197	"Proposing an amendment to repeal and replace Section
198	198	36.06 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to establish the
199	199	right to make and carry out one's own reproductive decisions,
200	200	including decisions on contraception, fertility treatment,
201	201	continuing one's own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and
202	202	abortion; to prohibit state action that burdens, penalizes,
203	203	prohibits, interferes with, or discriminates against the right
204	204	to make and carry out one's own reproductive decisions; and to
205	205	authorize the state to prohibit abortion after fetal
206	206	viability.
207	207	Proposed by Act ____. "
208	208	This description shall be followed by the following
209	209	language:
210	210	"Yes( ) No( )."
211	211	Section 3. The proposed amendment shall become valid as
212	212	a part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved
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242	242	a part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved
243	243	by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.113
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