Montana Code Annotated 2001

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     50-20-401. Offense of partial-birth abortion -- exception -- definitions -- penalties. (1) Except as provided in this section, a person commits an offense if the person purposely, knowingly, or negligently causes a partial-birth abortion.
     (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to:
     (a) a partial-birth abortion caused to save the life of a woman because the woman's life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, including a life-endangering condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, if no other medical procedure would save the life of the woman; or
     (b) the woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed.
     (3) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
     (a) "Knowingly" has the meaning provided in 45-2-101.
     (b) "Negligently" has the meaning provided in 45-2-101.
     (c) (i) "Partial-birth abortion" means an abortion in which the person performing the abortion partially vaginally delivers a living human fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery.
     (ii) A procedure that constitutes a partial-birth abortion is one in which the following steps occur:
     (A) the living fetus is removed intact from the uterus until only the head remains in the uterus;
     (B) all or a part of the intracranial contents of the fetus are evacuated;
     (C) the head of the fetus is compressed; and
     (D) following fetal demise, the fetus is removed from the birth canal.
     (d) "Purposely" has the meaning provided in 45-2-101.
     (4) A person committing the offense provided for in subsection (1) is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by:
     (a) a fine of not more than $50,000;
     (b) imprisonment in a correctional facility for a term of not less than 5 years and not more than 10 years; or
     (c) both fine and imprisonment as provided in subsections (4)(a) and (4)(b); and
     (d) permanent revocation of the license of the physician performing the partial-birth abortion. The provisions of 37-1-203 and 37-1-205 do not apply to a physician whose license is revoked pursuant to this section.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 314, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 479, L. 1999.

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