Utah § 76-7-305 - Informed consent requirements for abortion -- 72-hour wait mandatory -- Exceptions.

Full text of Utah Utah Code § 76-7-305 — Informed consent requirements for abortion -- 72-hour wait mandatory -- Exceptions., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 76-7-305. Informed consent requirements for abortion -- 72-hour wait mandatory -- Exceptions.

Effective 3/14/2024
76-7-305.  Informed consent requirements for abortion -- 72-hour wait mandatory -- Exceptions.
(1)A person may not perform an abortion, unless, before performing the abortion, the physician who will perform the abortion obtains from the woman on whom the abortion is to be performed a voluntary and informed written consent that is consistent with:
(a)Section 8.08 of the American Medical Association's Code of Medical Ethics, Current Opinions; and
(b)the provisions of this section.
(2)Except as provided in Subsection (8), consent to an abortion is voluntary and informed only if, at least 72 hours before the abortion:
(a)a staff member of an abortion clinic or a hospital, physician, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, advanced practice registered nurse, certified nurse midwife, genetic counselor, or physician's assistant presents the information module to the pregnant woman;
(b)the pregnant woman views the entire information module and presents evidence to the individual described in Subsection (2)(a) that the pregnant woman viewed the entire information module;
(c)after receiving the evidence described in Subsection (2)(b), the individual described in Subsection (2)(a):
(i)documents that the pregnant woman viewed the entire information module;
(ii)gives the pregnant woman, upon her request, a copy of the documentation described in Subsection (2)(c)(i); and
(iii)provides a copy of the statement described in Subsection (2)(c)(i) to the physician who is to perform the abortion, upon request of that physician or the pregnant woman;
(d)after the pregnant woman views the entire information module, the physician who is to perform the abortion, the referring physician, a physician, a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, advanced practice registered nurse, certified nurse midwife, genetic counselor, or physician's assistant, in a face-to-face consultation in any location in the state, orally informs the woman of:
(i)the nature of the proposed abortion procedure;
(ii)specifically how the procedure described in Subsection (2)(d)(i) will affect the fetus;
(iii)the risks and alternatives to the abortion procedure or treatment;
(iv)the options and consequences of aborting a medication-induced abortion, if the proposed abortion procedure is a medication-induced abortion;
(v)the probable gestational age and a description of the development of the unborn child at the time the abortion would be performed;
(vi)the medical risks associated with carrying her child to term;
(vii)the right to view an ultrasound of the unborn child, at no expense to the pregnant woman, upon her request; and
(viii)when the result of a prenatal screening or diagnostic test indicates that the unborn child has or may have Down syndrome, the department's website, which contains the information described in Section 26B-7-106, including the information on the informational support sheet; and
(e)after the pregnant woman views the entire information module, a staff member of the abortion clinic or hospital provides to the pregnant woman:
(i)on a document that the pregnant woman may take home:
(A)the address for the department's website described in Section 76-7-305.5; and
(B)a statement that the woman may request, from a staff member of the abortion clinic or hospital where the woman viewed the information module, a printed copy of the material on the department's website;
(ii)a printed copy of the material on the department's website described in Section 76-7-305.5, if requested by the pregnant woman; and
(iii)a copy of the form described in Subsection 26B-2-232(3)(a)(i) regarding the disposition of the aborted fetus.
(3)Before performing an abortion, the physician who is to perform the abortion shall:
(a)in a face-to-face consultation, provide the information described in Subsection (2)(d), unless the attending physician or referring physician is the individual who provided the information required under Subsection (2)(d); and
(b)
(i)obtain from the pregnant woman a written certification that the information required to be provided under Subsection (2) and this Subsection (3) was provided in accordance with the requirements of Subsection (2) and this Subsection (3);
(ii)obtain a copy of the statement described in Subsection (2)(c)(i); and
(iii)ensure that:
(A)the woman has received the information described in Subsections 26B-2-232(3) and (4); and
(B)if the woman has a preference for the disposition of the aborted fetus, the woman has informed the health care facility of the woman's decision regarding the disposition of the aborted fetus.
(4)When a medical emergency compels the performance of an abortion, the physician shall inform the woman prior to the abortion, if possible, of the medical indications supporting the physician's judgment that an abortion is necessary.
(5)If an ultrasound is performed on a woman before an abortion is performed, the individual who performs the ultrasound, or another qualified individual, shall:
(a)inform the woman that the ultrasound images will be simultaneously displayed in a manner to permit her to:
(i)view the images, if she chooses to view the images; or
(ii)not view the images, if she chooses not to view the images;
(b)simultaneously display the ultrasound images in order to permit the woman to:
(i)view the images, if she chooses to view the images; or
(ii)not view the images, if she chooses not to view the images;
(c)inform the woman that, if she desires, the person performing the ultrasound, or another qualified person shall provide a detailed description of the ultrasound images, including:
(i)the dimensions of the unborn child;
(ii)the presence of cardiac activity in the unborn child, if present and viewable; and
(iii)the presence of external body parts or internal organs, if present and viewable; and
(d)provide the detailed description described in Subsection (5)(c), if the woman requests it.
(6)The information described in Subsections (2), (3), and (5) is not required to be provided to a pregnant woman under this section if the abortion is performed for a reason described in:
(a)Subsection 76-7-302(2)(b)(i), if the treating physician and one other physician concur, in writing, that the abortion is necessary to avert:
(i)the death of the woman on whom the abortion is performed; or
(ii)a risk described in Subsection 76-7-302(2)(b)(i)(B); or
(b)Subsection 76-7-302(2)(b)(ii).
(7)In addition to the criminal penalties described in this part, a physician who violates the provisions of this section:
(a)is guilty of unprofessional conduct as defined in Section 58-67-102 or 58-68-102; and
(b)shall be subject to:
(i)suspension or revocation of the physician's license for the practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with Section 58-67-401 or 58-68-401; and
(ii)administrative penalties in accordance with Section 58-67-402 or 58-68-402.
(8)A physician is not guilty of violating this section for failure to furnish any of the information described in Subsection (2) or (3), or for failing to comply with Subsection (5), if:
(a)the physician can demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the physician reasonably believed that furnishing the information would have resulted in a severely adverse effect on the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman;
(b)in the physician's professional judgment, the abortion was necessary to avert:
(i)the death of the woman on whom the abortion is performed; or
(ii)a risk described in Subsection 76-7-302(2)(b)(i)(B);
(c)the pregnancy was the result of rape or rape of a child, as described in Sections 76-5-402 and 76-5-402.1;
(d)the pregnancy was the result of incest, as defined in Subsection 76-5-406(2)(j) and Section 76-7-102; or
(e)at the time of the abortion, the pregnant child was 14 years old or younger.
(9)A physician who complies with the provisions of this section and Section 76-7-304.5 may not be held civilly liable to the physician's patient for failure to obtain informed consent under Section 78B-3-406.
(10)
(a)The department shall provide an ultrasound, in accordance with the provisions of Subsection (5)(b), at no expense to the pregnant woman.
(b)A local health department shall refer a pregnant woman who requests an ultrasound described in Subsection (10)(a) to the department.
(11)A physician is not guilty of violating this section if:
(a)the information described in Subsection (2) is provided less than 72 hours before the physician performs the abortion; and
(b)in the physician's professional judgment, the abortion was necessary in a case where:
(i)a ruptured membrane, documented by the attending or referring physician, will cause a serious infection; or
(ii)a serious infection, documented by the attending or referring physician, will cause a ruptured membrane.


Amended by Chapter 313, 2024 General Session

Source: official Utah text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Section 76-7-305 ("Informed consent requirements for abortion -- 72-hour wait mandatory -- Exceptions.") is part of the Utah Code, the codified statutory law of Utah. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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