House Bill 135 Research Paper

Abortion is an on-going controversy in society. This controversy became the national issue, which is still seen today, after the women’s rights movement. Recently, there have been several controversial changes being made, and new abortion laws being passed. In Ohio a bill named the “House Bill 135”, coined the “Down Syndrome Non-discrimination Act” by its supporters, and was approved in June of 2015 by a health committee in the Ohio House of Representatives. This essay will explain what this bill is and why it is so controversial. First it is important to have an understanding what House Bill 135 is, and what Down syndrome is. Then it is important to understand why the bill was put into place, and why people support it. Lastly it is important to know why people are against this bill. Knowing what the bill is all about, why it has …show more content…
This bill will make it illegal to have an abortion if the mother is seeking an abortion solely because testing revealed the fetus has Down syndrome. The Ohio Legislature (2015).explains that no one should perform an abortion or attempt to perform an abortion if he/she knows that the mother only wants to have the abortion because of a positive test result for Down syndrome. House Bill 135 will make it illegal for medical professionals to perform, or attempt to perform, an abortion biased on a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Any medical professional found doing so, will be charged with a fourth degree felony. Genson, L. (2015) explains that Down syndrome is a genetic disorder, this disorder usually causes a delay in growth, facial features are changed, and Down syndrome causes a mild to moderate intellectual impairment. This bill does not hold the mother accountable for any abortion sought because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. Instead, it focuses on the medical professionals performing the abortions, while knowing the mother does not want a child with Down