Virginia Lawmakers Propose ‘Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act’

Republican lawmakers in Virginia proposed a 15-week abortion ban on the state’s first day of the 2023 legislative session entitled “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protect Act,” WTOP reported on Wednesday. 

Under the bill, doctors who perform or assist with an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy would face a felony charge. The legislation includes exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Sen. Steve Newman introduced the legislation in the Senate, and Republican Del. Kathy Byron introduced an identical bill in the House of Delegates. 

Many states have passed 15-week abortion bans, both before and after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022. A 15-week cap is used because studies have found that it is possible for unborn babies to feel pain at that point of development.

“This is a common-sense bill to say that if a child feels pain, we should protect him or her,” Newman said.

Executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Jamie Lockhart claims the bill “would hurt Virginians and put politicians where they don’t belong: in control of people’s private medical decisions,” according to the report. 

But SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser praised the bill in a comment to Life News:

We thank our allies Del. Kathy Byron and Sen. Stephen Newman and Governor Youngkin for leading the fight to protect unborn children and mothers from brutal abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Babies in the womb are as human as we are. By 15 weeks they have fully formed organs, fingers and toes, and can feel excruciating pain. This compassionate bill would save as many as 500 lives a year and bring Virginia in line with the overwhelming consensus of Americans, almost two dozen states and counting, and 47 out of 50 European nations that limit abortion at 15 weeks or earlier.

Virginians have elected pro-life leaders up and down the ballot and rejected the pro-abortion extremism of Democrats like Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam. Governor Youngkin is keeping his promise, and in the Dobbs era the voice of the people must continue to be heard in the Assembly. We are ready to fight to protect babies from the pain of abortion and lawmakers will have to tell the voters where they stand.

Abortion in Virginia is currently legal through the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, which is about 26 weeks.