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What are abortion trigger laws and which states have them?

Trigger laws will move to quickly outlaw abortions in 13 states. Some laws are expected to take effect almost immediately, while others are written to take effect about a month after the ruling.

A procedure room last year at Jackson Women’s Health, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi.Credit...Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and give individual states the choice of banning or allowing abortions will most immediately affect the 13 states that have trigger laws.

These statutes were implemented in anticipation of Friday’s ruling and are written to automatically go into effect following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Some laws are expected to take effect almost immediately, while others are written to take effect about a month after the ruling.

These are the 13 states with trigger laws that are expected to go into effect, or that already have:

In Arkansas, a trigger law is expected to take effect within days and ban almost all abortions, with an exception for saving the “life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency.” Performing an abortion, or attempting to perform one, could lead to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $100,000.

A trigger law in Idaho is expected to go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court’s ruling and would make providing an abortion punishable by up to five years in prison. Exemptions would be made in the event that an abortion is performed to prevent a pregnant woman from dying, or in cases of rape or incest.

Kentucky passed a bill in 2019 that went into effect immediately and bans abortions and makes them a felony. There are exceptions when an abortion is needed to prevent injuring or killing a pregnant woman. Rape and incest are not exceptions.

A law in Louisiana went into effect immediately and would ban anyone from performing an abortion or providing a woman with drugs to interrupt a pregnancy. The state would allow an abortion to prevent serious injury or death, but not for rape or incest.

In Mississippi, a law would require that the state’s attorney general first confirm that Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the Supreme Court before abortions are prohibited. Saving the life of a mother or cases of rape are exceptions.

A law in Missouri went into effect within hours of the ruling and made it a felony to perform an abortion except in the event of a medical emergency.

North Dakota’s law would make performing an abortion a felony unless it is done to save the life of a mother. It is expected to go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court ruling.

A bill in Oklahoma makes abortions illegal, punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a $100,000 fine, unless the abortion would save the life of a pregnant woman.

In South Dakota, a trigger law went into effect immediately and banned anyone from performing an abortion or providing a woman with drugs that could cause one, including in cases of rape or incest.

A bill in Tennessee is expected to go into effect about 30 days after the Supreme Court ruling. The law would ban abortions in the state, with exceptions to prevent the death or serious injury of a pregnant woman. The law has no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

In Texas, a law banning abortions is expected to go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court decision, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Abortion would be allowed to prevent a pregnant woman from dying or from a serious injury.

A law in Utah went into effect on Friday, banning abortions with exceptions for preventing death or serious injury to the mother, cases of rape or incest, or the possibility of severe birth defects.

In Wyoming, a law banning abortions is expected to go into effect within 30 days of the Supreme Court’s decision. The state would allow exceptions in cases of rape or sexual assault, or to prevent the death or “substantial and irreversible” injury of a pregnant woman.

Jesus Jiménez is a breaking news reporter. More about Jesus Jiménez

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national news. He is from upstate New York and previously reported in Baltimore, Albany, and Isla Vista, Calif. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

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