(A) Except in a medical emergency that prevents compliance with this division, no physician shall purposely perform or induce or purposely attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman after the unborn child reaches the probable post-fertilization age of twenty weeks unless, prior to the performance or inducement of the abortion or the attempt to perform or induce the abortion, the physician determines, in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment, the unborn child’s probable post-fertilization age. The physician shall make that determination after making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing any medical examinations or tests of the pregnant woman the physician considers necessary as a reasonably prudent physician, knowledgeable about the case and medical conditions involved, would consider necessary to determine the unborn child’s probable post-fertilization age.

Attorney's Note

Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Misdemeanor of the fourth degreeup to 30 daysup to $250
For details, see Ohio Code § 2929.24(A)

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Terms Used In Ohio Code 2919.203

  • Child: includes child by adoption. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02

(B) Except in a medical emergency that prevents compliance with this division, no physician shall purposely perform or induce or purposely attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman after the unborn child reaches the probable post- fertilization age of twenty weeks without first entering the determination made in division (A) of this section and the associated findings of the medical examination and tests in the medical record of the pregnant woman.

(C) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of failure to perform probable post-fertilization age testing, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(D) The state medical board shall suspend a physician’s license to practice medicine in this state for a period of not less than six months if the physician violates this section.