BOISE, Idaho — In an effort to address complaints about an exodus of Idaho physicians, who fear felony charges for providing pregnancy care, an Idaho bill would add exceptions to the state’s abortion ban. But pregnancies that cause health risks isn’t one of them.
House Bill 374, which lawmakers cleared Thursday, would clarify that medical treatment for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are allowable under the state’s abortion ban. An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, making the pregnancy non-viable.
The bill also would allow exceptions to felony “criminal abortion” when an abortion saves the life of the mother or if the pregnancy was the result of incest or rape. The exception applies only if the incest or rape was reported to police. Currently, the law grants affirmative defenses — opportunities to present evidence in court that negate charges — in those instances.
