Ohio Code 2919.18 – Failure to perform viability testing
(A) Except in a medical emergency that prevents compliance with this division, no physician shall perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman after the beginning of the twentieth week of gestation unless, prior to the performance or inducement of the abortion or the attempt to perform or induce the abortion, the physician determines, in the physician’s good faith medical judgment, that the unborn child is not viable, and the physician makes that determination after performing a medical examination of the pregnant woman and after performing or causing to be performed those tests for assessing gestational age, weight, lung maturity, or other tests that the physician, in that physician’s good faith medical judgment, believes are necessary to determine whether an unborn child is viable.
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor of the fourth degree | up to 30 days | up to $250 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 2919.18
- Child: includes child by adoption. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
(B) Except in a medical emergency that prevents compliance with this division, no physician shall perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman after the beginning of the twentieth week of gestation without first entering the determination made in division (A) of this section and the associated findings of the medical examination and tests in the medical record of the pregnant woman.
(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of failure to perform viability testing, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(D) The state medical board shall suspend a physician’s license to practice medicine in this state for a period of not less than six months if the physician violates this section.