Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill which prohibits individuals from coercing or attempting to coerce a pregnant woman into having an abortion, effective January 1, 2013.

Highlights:

• Prohibits any individual who knows a woman is pregnant from committing, attempting to commit, or “maliciously threatening” to commit physical violence against the pregnant woman.

• Defines “maliciously threaten” as 2 or more statements or a course of conduct that would cause a "reasonable" person to believe that the individual is likely to act in accordance with such statements or conduct.

• Prohibits any individual, upon learning that the pregnant woman does not want to have an abortion, from performing any of the following:
• Discontinuing or threatening to discontinue support that the individual has a legal responsibility to provide or reducing that support to a level below his or her legal responsibility;
• Withdrawing or threatening to withdraw from a contract or other agreement to which the pregnant woman is a party or beneficiary; or
• Discharging or threatening to discharge the pregnant woman from employment.

• Specifies that a violation of this bill shall be punishable as follows:
• For physical violence, a punishment in accordance with the crime;
• For threats to discontinue support, withdraw from a contract, or discharge the pregnant woman from employment, a fine of no more than $5,000; or
• For an offender who is the father of the fetus, or if the pregnant woman is under 18 years of age at the time of the violation, a fine of no more than $10,000.

Full Bill Text