Department of Health Services-Ultrasound Reviews

In 1999, the Legislature established abortion clinic licensure standards.  Legislation passed in 2000 required the Department to contract with a qualified person or corporation to review ultrasounds of aborted second- and third-trimester fetuses to verify the fetus’ estimated age and that the estimate was made in compliance with the law.  However, a lawsuit filed in 2000 challenged the legislation.  Although federal courts upheld some provisions of the statutes, they ruled that the provisions related to ultrasound evaluations violated patient privacy and Constitutional protection against illegal search and seizure.  As a result, the Department has no plans for implementing ultrasound reviews.