Different abortion law now in effect in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — After a court ruling Monday placed Utah’s trigger law, or S.B. 174, on hold, a different abortion law is now in effect in Utah.

This law was created in 2019 but has been tied up in the courts for the past few years.

The new law bans elective abortions after 18 weeks of pregnancy. There are several exceptions to this, which include incest, rape, health and safety of the mother, defects with the fetus that are fatal, and severe brain abnormalities.

Its sponsor Rep. Cheryl Acton says the law reverses the time frame for which an abortion can be performed by a couple of weeks.

“We went with 18 weeks because of that fetal pain perception,” she said. “It was more difficult to find experts who could testify to fetal pain prior to 18 weeks.”

The injunction on this law was lifted Monday. 

Planned Parenthood of Utah declined to comment on the matter until its legal team has a chance to review the law.

Mark Jones contributed to this article.

Read more:

• Lawmaker seeks to remove felony statute from Utah’s abortion trigger law
• Utah’s trigger law will ban most abortions
• Temporary stay issued for Utah’s trigger law