2008 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 464<br /> – Abortion, coerce, penalty

HOUSE BILL NO. 464

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Bill Status



H0464.................................................by HEALTH AND WELFARE
ABORTION - Adds to and amends existing law to provide that it is a criminal
act to coerce or attempt to coerce a woman to obtain an abortion; to
provide for recovery of damages by civil suit; and to provide penalties.

02/05    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/06    Rpt prt - to Health/Wel
02/29    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/03    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/17    Ret'd to Health/Wel

Bill Text




                                                                       
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-ninth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2008

                                                                       

                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 464

                              BY HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO ABORTION AND CONTRACEPTIVES; AMENDING CHAPTER 6, TITLE  18,  IDAHO
  3        CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 18-615, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT
  4        IT  IS  A CRIMINAL ACT TO COERCE OR ATTEMPT TO COERCE A WOMAN TO OBTAIN AN
  5        ABORTION, TO PROVIDE FOR RECOVERY OF DAMAGES BY CIVIL SUIT AND TO  PROVIDE
  6        PENALTIES;  AND  AMENDING  SECTION  18-615, IDAHO CODE, TO REDESIGNATE THE
  7        SECTION.

  8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

  9        SECTION 1.  That Chapter 6, Title 18, Idaho Code,  be,  and  the  same  is
 10    hereby  amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
 11    ignated as Section 18-615, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

 12        18-615.  CRIMINAL ACT TO COERCE OR ATTEMPT TO COERCE A WOMAN TO OBTAIN  AN
 13    ABORTION. (1)  A person violates the provisions of this section when, with the
 14    intent  of inducing a pregnant woman to have an abortion and without regard to
 15    whether the pregnant woman actually has an abortion, that  person  commits  an
 16    act of coercion in one (1) of the following respects:
 17        (a)  Uses force or threats of force against the woman;
 18        (b)  Commits,  attempts  to commit or conspires to commit physical harm to
 19        the woman;
 20        (c)  Threatens to commit any act prohibited by section 18-401, Idaho Code;
 21        or
 22        (d)  Performs any other act which would not in itself  materially  benefit
 23        the  actor  but  which is calculated to harm the pregnant woman materially
 24        with respect to her health, safety, business, calling,  career,  financial
 25        condition, reputation or personal relationships.
 26        (2)  A  pregnant  woman  injured  by reason of a person's violation of the
 27    provisions of this section may bring a civil suit for recovery of damages  for
 28    such  injury,  whether or not the perpetrator is criminally prosecuted or con-
 29    victed. In such a civil suit, the pregnant woman shall be entitled to  recover
 30    her reasonable attorney's fees and costs if she is the prevailing party.
 31        (3)  Violations  of the provisions of this section are classified and pun-
 32    ishable as follows:
 33        (a)  If the act includes physical contact with resulting  physical  injury
 34        to  the  pregnant  woman,  the  person is guilty of a felony punishable by
 35        imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or a fine of not more  than
 36        five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both such imprisonment and fine.
 37        (b)  If  the  act  does not include physical contact resulting in physical
 38        injury to the pregnant woman, the person is guilty of a  misdemeanor  pun-
 39        ishable by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or a fine of not
 40        more  than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such imprisonment and
 41        fine.
 42        (4)  The term "woman" in this section includes a minor female.

                                       2

  1        SECTION 2.  That Section 18-615, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
  2    amended to read as follows:

  3        18-6156.  SEVERABILITY. If any one (1) or more provision, section, subsec-
  4    tion,  sentence,  clause,  phrase,  or word of this chapter or the application
  5    thereof to any person or circumstance is found  to  be  unconstitutional,  the
  6    same  is hereby declared to be severable and the balance of this chapter shall
  7    remain effective notwithstanding such unconstitutionality.  The    legislature
  8    hereby  declares  that  it would have passed every section of this chapter and
  9    each provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or word  thereof
 10    irrespective  of the fact that any one (1) or more provision, section, subsec-
 11    tion, sentence, clause, phrase or word be declared unconstitutional.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


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                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 17683

This legislation seeks to make it illegal to coerce or otherwise
force a woman or girl into aborting her baby.  Research indicates
that violence against pregnant women is a serious problem all
across the nation.  Many women report that they were coerced into
abortion and have suffered grievous emotional, psychological and
spiritual harm in subsequent years.  This legislation intends to
empower all Idaho mothers to choose life for their preborn
children by preventing coercion in its most common forms.


                           FISCAL NOTE

There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund.




Contact
Name: Rep. Nonini 
Phone: (208) 332-1000
Senator Monty Pence
Senator Shirley McKague
Senator Russ Fulcher
Rep. Mike Moyle
Rep. Pete Nielsen
Rep. Lynn Luker
Rep. Ken Andrus
Rep. Russ Mathews
Rep. Steven Kren



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                         H 464