Arizona governor signs bill requiring doctors to care for babies born alive in abortions

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill into law that would require doctors to provide medical care to babies born alive after failed abortions.

Senate Bill 1367 was signed by Ducey on Friday, two days after it was passed by the Arizona legislature, Arizona Capitol Times reported.

Under the new law, the fetus is considered "delivered alive" if it shows signs of life such as breathing, a heartbeat, umbilical cord pulsation or definite movement of voluntary muscles.

Physicians argued that the new definition would require them to perform unnecessary procedures on a baby with no chance of survival. The doctors noted that the current practice is to provide "comfort care" to the baby and allow the mother to hold it.

The new law would not require the doctor to provide life-saving medical care if the baby's death was deemed "imminent" and if further treatment would do nothing more than prolong the dying.

The legislation mandates the Arizona Department of Health Services to set policies that clinics, hospitals and physicians must follow to care for babies delivered alive. The policies include having neonatal emergency equipment and trained staff in the room for abortions performed at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

According to AZ Central, the law not only applies to traditional elective-medication or surgical abortions but also to instances in which something was done to cause the early delivery of the baby when it is not expected to live. This would include pregnant women who are induced early due to a fatal fetal anomaly or because something went wrong with the pregnancy or the fetus.

The legislation was signed into law just after the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released a video purportedly showing a Planned Parenthood official saying that it "depends on who is in the room" as to whether the baby born alive after a botched abortion is taken to the hospital or left to die.

"In Arizona, if the fetus comes out with any signs of life, we're supposed to transport it. To the hospital." Dr. DeShawn Taylor, previous medical director of Planned Parenthood of Arizona, explained to CMP investigators.

When she was asked if there are standard procedures for verifying signs of life, she replied: "Well, the thing is, I mean the key is, you need to pay attention to who's in the room, right?"

The legislation, which strengthens existing requirements to care for babies who survive botched abortions, will take effect this summer.

"I have been consistently pro-life through my time as governor," said Ducey, who has signed every abortion bill that reached his desk since he became governor over two years ago.