Legislation prohibiting abortions where doctors use clamps, forceps or similar instruments to dismember a fetus in the womb has been approved by an Oklahoma Senate committee.
The Committee on Health and Human Services voted 7-1 Monday for the House-passed measure. The bill, which has been proposed in several states by a national anti-abortion group, now goes to the full Senate.
The measure by Republican Sen. Josh Brecheen of Coalgate would ban procedures in which doctors use medical devices to dismember a fetus in the womb to complete an abortion.
The bill would permit exceptions where the procedure, known as dilation and evacuation, would prevent a serious health risk to the mother. Violators could face up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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