Ohio Republicans are considering a bill during the lame-duck session that would redefine and ban abortion, and potentially punish people with severe criminal penalties if they perform or undergo an abortion, according to local public radio station WOSU.
The bill, HB 565, was introduced in March and is currently awaiting consideration in the health committee. From fertilization to birth, the “unborn human” would be included under the definition of person in the criminal code. The measure also redefines abortion to mean the purposeful termination of a pregnancy by any person, including the pregnant person, “any method, including, but not limited to, chemical methods, medical methods, and surgical methods.”
