Wyoming abortion bills, including 'heartbeat ban,' advancing through legislature

Source: ABC News

February 20, 2026, 5:00 AM


Two bills having to do with abortion are making their way through the Wyoming legislature. The first bill, HB0126, dubbed the Human Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortion if cardiac activity is detected in the fetus, which is around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they're pregnant.

If cardiac activity is detected, an abortion can only be performed in the case of a medical emergency, meaning if the life of the mother is in danger or if continuing the pregnancy would cause serious or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, according to the bill, which does not include exceptions for women impregnated as a result of rape or incest. Any person who intentionally or knowingly violates the act will be charged with a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, according to the bill.

"What this bill attempts to do is to provide a line in the sand," Republican Speaker of the House Rep. Chip Neiman said at a Wyoming House Labor, Health & Social Services Committee meeting on Monday. "This gives the unborn child the right to be protected and the privilege of being carried to term after a fetal heartbeat is detected." The bill also asserts that "substantial medical evidence" shows that a fetus can experience pain by 15 weeks of gestation.

"The science conclusively establishes that a human fetus does not have the capacity to experience pain until after at least 24–25 weeks," according to the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG).

Read more: https://abcnews.com/Health/wyoming-abortion-bills-including-heartbeat-ban-advancing-legislature/story?id=130296450