Maine Gov. Janet Mills to approve bill permitting late-term abortions.

Maine Governor to Sign Bill Allowing Post-Viability Abortions

Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) is set to sign a groundbreaking bill that will permit post-viability abortions when deemed medically necessary. This significant development comes after the bill, introduced in April with Mills’ support, passed in the House by a narrow margin of 73-69 on June 27 and in the Senate with a vote of 20-11 on Thursday.

“After viability, an abortion may be performed only when it is necessary in the professional judgment of a [licensed] physician,” reads the legislation.

While it is currently required for abortions in Maine to be performed by state-licensed healthcare professionals, the bill also eliminates criminal penalties for providers who are not licensed by the state.

The Republican minority in both chambers of the legislature fiercely opposed the act, expressing concerns that it grants excessive authority to doctors in determining the appropriateness of the procedure. Some Republican lawmakers even proposed revisions to the bill, such as including language that would require a fatal diagnosis for either the mother or child, but these suggestions were ultimately unsuccessful.

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Changing the Landscape of Abortion Laws in Maine

Currently, abortion in Maine is legal for any reason until the legal standard of fetal viability, which is typically around 24 weeks gestation. However, advancements in science have raised questions among anti-abortion advocates regarding the validity of this timeframe. The new law will allow abortions to be performed at any time, as long as they are approved and facilitated by a doctor.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020, there were 4,832 abortions performed in the United States with a gestational age of greater than 21 weeks, accounting for nearly 1% of all abortions in the country. Nationally, 7% of abortions, or 31,882, occur after 14 weeks gestation. In Maine, 95 abortions, or 5% of the total in the state in 2020, were performed after 14 weeks of gestation.