Utah House Passes Bill Restricting Abortion Clinics in the State

A Planned Parenthood clinic in Anaheim, Calif., on May 5, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Utah House of Representatives passed House Bill 467 on Feb. 17 that seeks to restrict the operation of abortion clinics in the state while also making changes to related regulations.

“No abortion clinic may operate in the state on or after January 1, 2024, or the last valid date of an abortion clinic license issued under the requirements of this section, whichever date is later,” states the HB 467 bill (pdf). “The state may not issue a license for an abortion clinic after May 2, 2023.” The bill was sponsored by Republican Karianne Lisonbee. HB 467 was passed with a vote of 51-14, with 10 members absent or choosing not to vote.

The bill requires that abortions be performed in hospitals with limited exceptions. It modifies provisions governing what constitutes a medical emergency in relation to abortion.

The bill changes the conditions under which an abortion may be performed to protect the life of a pregnant woman.

In the case of a lethal fetal anomaly, HB 467 requires a physician to give “notice of the availability of perinatal hospice and perinatal palliative care services as an alternative to abortion.”

The bill repeals the statute that established the prohibition of abortion beyond 18 weeks of pregnancy, and restricts the ability to receive abortions in cases of rape or incest if the unborn child has not reached 18 weeks of gestational age.

HB467 provides for regulating drugs that are used for abortions while also making it a criminal offense to prescribe such drugs for abortion unless the prescriber is a licensed physician per state laws.

Floor Discussion

Speaking about the bill on the House floor late Friday, Lisonbee pointed out that HB 467 only seeks to revoke the licenses of clinics that specifically conduct elective abortions—abortions that women choose for personal reasons.

The bill will continue to allow clinics like Planned Parenthood to perform abortions allowed under Utah’s trigger abortion laws that are currently on hold and tied up in the courts, she added.

“As a state, we deeply value human life at all stages and in all circumstances,” Lisonbee said, according to KSL TV. “It is the state’s responsibility to protect the most vulnerable, and that includes the unborn.”

Republican Representative Brady Brammer revealed that he had talked with Planned Parenthood and is not expecting its clinics to shut shop due to the bill.

“Based on that communication, I don’t believe that any clinics that are providing any of the services to women will close, merely because that revenue is no longer available—at a loss of 9 percent of revenue and 3 percent of services,” he said.

In a Feb. 18 tweet, the Planned Parenthood Action Council of Utah confirmed the revenue and service numbers as detailed by Brammer.

Abortion in Utah

Utah passed its abortion laws in 2020. Abortions in the state would only be considered legal if the mother’s life is at risk, if the pregnancy was the consequence of incest or rape, or if two physicians conclude that the fetus has a severe defect.

The abortion law was triggered into effect on June 24, 2022, following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 decision that made abortion legal in the United States. However, Utah’s trigger abortion law was challenged in the courts and is currently not in effect.

At present, abortions are legal in Utah if the pregnancy is at 18 weeks or less. Women below the age of 18 seeking an abortion must secure the permission of a parent or guardian.