The Virginia Senate yesterday approved 21-19 an amendment to House Bill 462 which excludes victims of rape or incest from the pre-abortion ultrasound mandate.
The original bill, introduced last month by Del. Kathy J. Byron, R-Campbell, required women seeking an abortion to obtain a pre-abortion transvaginal ultrasound, which the Virginia Senate amended last week to allow women to receive an external abdominal ultrasound instead.
Sen. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax, presented seven amendments to the bill, but only one passed yesterday.
The amendment now moves to the House of Delegates, which must also approve the change for it to move on to Gov. Bob McDonnell.
While Howell has continually expressed her distaste for this bill and still believes it forces women to obtain unnecessary and expensive procedures, she said the amendments passed yesterday and last week are real improvements.
"Before this bill was amended, there were those who talked about it as 'state rape,'" Howell said. "The amended bill goes from state rape to state assault."
Karol Straub, Howell's legislative assistant, said the bill looks likely to pass as McDonnell has expressed support for it.
McDonnell's spokesperson, Jeff Caldwell, confirmed the governor's backing of the bill.
"The governor supports including an ultrasound requirement as part of Virginia's informed consent statute, because women have a right to know all available medical information," Caldwell said in an email. "He will review the final language of this legislation, which passed with a bipartisan vote, and looks forward to approving a common-sense ultrasound measure in the Commonwealth."
-compiled by Viet VoPham
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