March 20, 2023

Utah Gov Signs Bill Prohibiting Abortion at Non-Hospital Facilities

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R)
On March 15, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed legislation prohibiting abortion in non-hospital settings. Unless the law is blocked by a judge, abortion clinics in Utah will no longer be able to commit abortions.

The new abortion law also requires doctors to inform parents about perinatal hospice and palliative care if their preborn children are diagnosed with fatal conditions.

The Utah Hospital Association told the Associated Press that no hospitals in the state provided elective abortions last year. The association declined to say whether any hospitals planned to offer them if abortion clinics closed.

Utah passed two pro-life laws recently: one in 2019 and another in 2020. The 2019 law limits abortion to the first 18 weeks of gestation, and the 2020 law bans abortion at all gestational ages with some exceptions. The 2020 law is currently blocked pending the outcome of a Planned Parenthood lawsuit. The 18-week limit is still in effect.