Senate committee backs 48‑hour ultrasound requirement and other limits for chemical abortions after close votes on amendments

House Bill 64, which would require an ultrasound prior to the dispensation of chemical‑abortion medications, was reported favorably by the Senate Committee of the Whole after several committee-of-the-whole amendments and a contested floor debate.

Senator Steinmetz presented the bill on the floor as a requirement that an ultrasound be performed no less than 48 hours before a pregnant woman procures medication for a chemical abortion or before a provider dispenses the drugs; the sponsor said the ultrasound confirms location of pregnancy, gestational age and cardiac activity — information the sponsor described as standard of care for early pregnancy management and essential to the safe use of FDA‑approved chemical‑abortion drugs (which the sponsor said are approved up to 10 weeks' gestation).

During debate the Committee of the Whole adopted three Committee of the Whole amendments. Committee of the Whole Amendment number 1, moved by Senator Crum, amended the bill to make a transvaginal ultrasound optional unless expressly requested by the pregnant woman; the amendment was adopted on a roll/standing count that the floor recorded as 15 in favor and 12 opposed. Committee of the Whole Amendment number 2 and Amendment number 3 were described by proponents as statutory clarifications and changes to conform language across the bill (including changing prescriptive terms such as "physician" or "technician" to the broader "healthcare provider").

Floor debate included questions about whether transvaginal ultrasound is necessary in early pregnancy (some lawmakers and medical witnesses told the committee it is sometimes required to detect an early or ectopic pregnancy), whether the 48‑hour waiting period would impose travel and financial burdens on rural patients, and whether emergency contraceptives such as Plan B would be affected by the bill's definitions. Senator Hutchings noted that some pregnancy centers provide free ultrasound services; Senator Garou and others raised concerns about criminal penalties that appear in the draft (a floor exchange quoted language describing felony penalties with fines and prison terms for violations).

After amendments were adopted, the Committee of the Whole reported House Bill 64 favorably. The transcript recorded a division on the bill's Committee of the Whole vote as 22 yes and 8 no. Supporters argued the requirement protects patient safety and reduces the risk of incorrectly administering medication at later gestational ages; opponents characterized the measure as governmental intrusion into medical decisions and raised civil‑liberties concerns.

Ending: House Bill 64 advanced from the Committee of the Whole for further Senate consideration. The bill as reported includes a 48‑hour ultrasound requirement before dispensing chemical‑abortion medications, language broadened to "healthcare provider" for performance of the ultrasound, and Committee of the Whole Amendment #1 making transvaginal ultrasound optional unless the woman requests it (amendment passed 15–12). Recorded Committee of the Whole vote on the bill was 22–8 in favor.