Tennessee abortion ultrasound bill pulled by sponsor

A bill that would have required women to receive an ultrasound before receiving an abortion in Tennessee was withdrawn by the bill’s sponsor on Tuesday.

After having several lawmakers on the House Health subcommittee express concerns about the legislation, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rick Womick, R-Rockvale, made the move.

The measure effectively ends any opportunity the bill had for passage. Womick’s latest move comes one week after he pulled it from a committee agenda without explanation.

On Tuesday, Womick introduced an amendment that he said would have effectively rewritten the bill.

The original bill would have required doctors to provide ultrasound images to any woman seeking an abortion.

Womick explained that the newly written bill did not require clinics such as Planned Parenthood to perform an ultrasound before an abortion. “It is giving the woman a right to choose,” he said.

Although abortion providers typically require ultrasounds before every abortion, Womick testified that he has heard of some instances in which a woman has asked to see an ultrasound but was not provided with a copy of it by the clinic.

The amended version of the bill would’ve required clinics to provide ultrasound images to a patient if she requests it.

“All (the bill) says is the mother must be given the opportunity,” Womick said.

But several lawmakers had an issue with not only the amendment but the overall bill, including Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville.

Among many reasons, Clemmons said he was concerned about the specific language of the bill, which he said contained the term “unborn child.”

Womick said the language included in the bill came as a result of conversations he had with those in the medical community, including Rep. Sabi Kumar, R-Springfield, who sits on the health subcommittee.

Clemmons said by including “unborn child” he feared it would be “codifying a religious belief.”

Throughout their back-and-forth Womick and Clemmons said they did not want to engage in a debate about abortion.

“I have serious concerns about this bill,” Clemmons concluded.

In addition to Clemmons, others opposed the bill, saying they worried that it could jeopardize Tennessee’s legal defense of other new abortion restrictions.

The state has mandatory wait periods and clinic licensing requirements, among other restrictions.

Before beginning his presentation, Womick asked for a roll call vote, an individual tally of those voting in support or against a bill. That move became moot after several lawmakers on the committee, including the subcommittee chairman, Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, and Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, said they would not support the bill.

Womick, who is retiring from the legislature this year, vowed to bring the bill back in the future.

Reach Joel Ebert at 615-259-8379 and on Twitter @joelebert29.