Madison Reporter

The Wisconsin heartbeat bill, authored by Senator Julian Bradley and Representatives Donna Rozar and Calvin Callahan, has passed the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection. The committee approved the bill with a 3-2 vote.

Senator Bradley stated, "We're doing everything we can to protect the beating hearts of the unborn in Wisconsin with this vital bill." He added, "Once a baby's heart starts beating, an abortionist definitely shouldn't be allowed to stop it. Because of a similar law in Texas, more than 10,000 lives have been saved. We must start that good work here in Wisconsin as soon as possible."

Senate Bill 923 mandates that abortion providers test for a fetal heartbeat. If detected, the physician would be prohibited from performing an abortion. Similar to legislation in Texas, this bill introduces a new enforcement method allowing citizens to hold abortion providers accountable through private lawsuits. This enforcement approach has been upheld as legal within the current framework of Roe v. Wade.

The bill will now proceed to the full Senate for consideration.