Sec. 17516.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), a physician or an individual performing an act, task, or function under the delegatory authority of a physician shall not perform a partial-birth abortion, even if the abortion is otherwise permitted by law.

(2) A physician or an individual described in subsection (1) may perform a partial-birth abortion if the physician or other individual reasonably believes that performing the partial-birth abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury and that no other medical procedure will accomplish that purpose.

(3) This section does not create a right to abortion.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a person shall not perform an abortion that is prohibited by law.

(5) As used in this section:

(a) "Abortion" means the intentional use of an instrument, drug, or other substance or device to terminate a woman's pregnancy for a purpose other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus. Abortion does not include a procedure to complete a spontaneous abortion or the use or prescription of a drug or device intended as a contraceptive.

(b) "Fetus" means an individual organism of the species homo sapiens at any time before complete delivery from a pregnant woman.

(c) "Partial-birth abortion" means an abortion in which the physician or individual acting under the delegatory authority of the physician performing the abortion partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery.

History: Add. 1996, Act 273, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 Popular Name: Act 368