1. Except in the case of a medical emergency or when the abortion is medically necessary, a physician shall not perform an abortion unless the physician has first complied with the prerequisites of chapter 146A and has tested the pregnant woman as specified in this subsection, to determine if a fetal heartbeat is detectable.

 a. In testing for a detectable fetal heartbeat, the physician shall perform an abdominal ultrasound, necessary to detect a fetal heartbeat according to standard medical practice and including the use of medical devices, as determined by standard medical practice and specified by rule of the board of medicine.
 b. Following the testing of the pregnant woman for a detectable fetal heartbeat, the physician shall inform the pregnant woman, in writing, of all of the following:

 (1) Whether a fetal heartbeat was detected.
 (2) That if a fetal heartbeat was detected, an abortion is prohibited.
 c. Upon receipt of the written information, the pregnant woman shall sign a form acknowledging that the pregnant woman has received the information as required under this subsection.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 146C.2

  • Abortion: means the termination of a human pregnancy with the intent other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus. See Iowa Code 146C.1
  • Board: means the board of hearing aid specialists. See Iowa Code 154A.1
  • Child: includes child by adoption. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Fetal heartbeat: means cardiac activity, the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac. See Iowa Code 146C.1
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Medical emergency: means the same as defined in section 146A. See Iowa Code 146C.1
  • Medically necessary: means any of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 146C.1
  • Physician: means a person licensed under chapter 148. See Iowa Code 146C.1
  • Reasonable medical judgment: means a medical judgment made by a reasonably prudent physician who is knowledgeable about the case and the treatment possibilities with respect to the medical conditions involved. See Iowa Code 146C.1
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Unborn child: means the same as defined in section 146A. See Iowa Code 146C.1
 2. a. A physician shall not perform an abortion upon a pregnant woman when it has been determined that the unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat, unless, in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment, a medical emergency exists, or when the abortion is medically necessary.

 b. Notwithstanding paragraph “a”, if a physician determines that the probable postfertilization age, as defined in section 146B.1, of the unborn child is twenty or more weeks, the physician shall not perform an abortion upon a pregnant woman when it has been determined that the unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat, unless in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment the pregnant woman has a condition which the physician deems a medical emergency, as defined in section 146B.1, or the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of an unborn child.
 3. A physician shall retain in the woman’s medical record all of the following:

 a. Documentation of the testing for a fetal heartbeat as specified in subsection 1 and the results of the fetal heartbeat test.
 b. The pregnant woman’s signed form acknowledging that the pregnant woman received the information as required under subsection 1.
 4. This section shall not be construed to impose civil or criminal liability on a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this section.
 5. The board of medicine shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section.
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