Although the US Supreme Court upheld a woman’s basic right to seek a safe abortion in a 1992 case called Planned Parenthood v. Casey, it also gave states considerable leeway in writing laws that may restrict the availability of abortions. Essentially, these laws say: “Yes, you can still get an abortion, but it may be hard to find a legal clinic.”

Abortion Laws In Your State

With state’s able to create and change their own abortion laws, it can be hard to keep everything straight. This article was created to inform you of what is and what is not legal in your own state.

First, you should know that most states make a legal distinction between fetal viability and non-viability. After reaching “viability,” a fetus is able to live outside a mother’s womb. Most babies are viable after 26 to 27 weeks of gestation.

Pennsylvania

According to the Guttmacher Institute, there are 47 abortion providers currently registered in Pennsylvania. After 24 weeks of pregnancy, abortions are legally prohibited, expect in cases where health endangerment is a concern.  The procedure must be performed by a licensed physician, as opposed to nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants.

If an abortion is to be performed in PA after fetal viability has been determined, it must take place in a hospital, with at least two physicians present.

Public funding for abortion is only available in PA if a mother’s health is in danger, or her pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, abortions must be performed in a hospital after 14 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the state does not require that procedures be administered by licensed physicians. Public funding covers most “medically-necessary” abortions.

The Guttmacher Institute reports that there are 64 abortion providers in NJ. You can learn more about New Jersey’s abortion laws on their website.

Delaware

Abortions in Delaware must be performed by licensed physicians. Public funding is offered only to women whose lives are endangered by their pregnancy, or those whose pregnancies are the result of rape or incest. After fetal viability, abortion is prohibited in Delaware, unless the patient’s life is in danger.

In addition, “the parent of a minor, younger than 16, must be notified before an abortion is provided.”

In Delaware, there are 8 legally registered abortion providers.

Virginia

There are currently 35 abortion providers in Virginia. Abortions must be performed by licensed physicians, and must be performed in a hospital after the second trimester.

Virginia’s laws prohibit abortions after the third trimester (which generally begins 28 weeks after conception), unless a woman’s life is endangered by the pregnancy.

Public funding for abortions in Virginia is limited to those cases in which life is in danger, or after rape or incest.

Connecticut

Connecticut has 41 registered abortion providers. After fetal viability has been reached, abortions are prohibited, unless the pregnancy was due to rape, incest, or a woman’s life is threatened by the pregnancy.

Connecticut publicly funds most abortion procedures.

New York

There are currently 225 abortion providers in New York State. Abortions are prohibited after 24 weeks, unless a woman’s health is endangered. NY offers public funding for most abortions.

Recent Changes In US Abortion Laws

In 2013, the state of Texas was home to 41 licensed abortion clinics. But since 1992, and the decision of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the legislature in Texas has made it increasingly difficult for clinics to legally perform abortions. As of today, Texas’ legal clinics have been reduced to 19. Last week, a Texas judge struck down a controversial new measure, signed into law by Texas’ Governor Rick Perry, to reduce this number to seven.

The new bill would have required all legal abortions to occur in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), specialized medical centers that have been labeled by some critics as “mini-hospitals.” ASCs are designed to serve patients who have already visited a primary care physician, been diagnosed, and have chosen to pursue surgical treatment. The bill also sought to make abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy illegal.

Critics of the bill argue that many early abortions, which make up approximately 85% of all procedures administered in America, are not surgical in nature. Instead, women receive a pill, mifepristone, which ends an early pregnancy.  In addition, if Texas’ existing clinics chose to upgrade and become ASCs, many would be forced into bankruptcy.