The Alabama Legislature has passed a bill concerning the care for babies born alive after attempted abortions.
The bill says a doctor who attempts an abortion must provide the same level of care for a child who survives an abortion as a doctor would for any other child at birth.
Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Birmingham, who spoke for the bill in the Senate tonight, said the circumstances are rare but do occur.
Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Centre, is the sponsor of the bill. Shaver, who first introduced the bill in 2019, said she has worked as a crisis pregnancy counselor. She said a woman she counseled told her that her child was born alive after an attempted abortion and that the doctor did not provide care and the baby died.
The Senate passed the bill tonight 31-0. The House had passed the bill by a vote of 76-12 in March.
It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey, who can sign it into law.
Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said she supported Shaver’s bill and distinguished it from bills to restrict abortion rights. She opposed the abortion ban the Legislature approved two years ago that has been put on hold by federal courts.
“You’re talking about a child that has been born and certainly that child should have every opportunity to live and be taken care of,” Coleman-Madison said.
But the senator said the state does not do enough for children and mothers in need.
“Our issue is the fact that this state does not believe in taking care of the child after the child is born,” Coleman-Madison said.