MODEL PENAL CODE ANNOTATED
 

MODEL PENAL CODE

 
Section 230.3. Abortion.

 (1) Unjustified Abortion.  A person who purposely and unjustifiably terminates the pregnancy of another otherwise than by a live birth commits a felony of the third degree or, where the pregnancy has continued beyond the twenty-sixth week, a felony of the second degree.

 (2) Justifiable Abortion.  A licensed physician is justified in terminating a pregnancy if he believes there is substantial risk that continuance of the pregnancy would gravely impair the physical or mental health of the mother or that the child would be born with grave physical or mental defect, or that the pregnancy resulted from rape, incest, or other felonious intercourse.  All illicit intercourse with a girl below the age of 16 shall be deemed felonious for purposes of this subsection.  Justifiable abortions shall be performed only in a licensed hospital except in case of emergency when hospital facilities are unavailable.  [Additional exceptions from the requirement of hospitalization may be incorporated here to take account of situations in sparsely settled areas where hospitals are not generally accessible.]

 (3) Physicians' Certificates;  Presumption from Non-Compliance.  No abortion shall be performed unless two physicians, one of whom may be the person performing the abortion, shall have certified in writing the circumstances which they believe to justify the abortion.  Such certificate shall be submitted before the abortion to the hospital where it is to be performed and, in the case of abortion following felonious intercourse, to the prosecuting attorney or the police.  Failure to comply with any of the requirements of this Subsection gives rise to a presumption that the abortion was unjustified.

 (4) Self-Abortion.  A woman whose pregnancy has continued beyond the twenty-sixth week commits a felony of the third degree if she purposely terminates her own pregnancy otherwise than by a live birth, or if she uses instruments, drugs or violence upon herself for that purpose.  Except as justified under Subsection (2), a person who induces or knowingly aids a woman to use instruments, drugs or violence upon herself for the purpose of terminating her pregnancy otherwise than by a live birth commits a felony of the third degree whether or not the pregnancy has continued beyond the twenty-sixth week.

 (5) Pretended Abortion.  A person commits a felony of the third degree if, representing that it is his purpose to perform an abortion, he does an act adapted to cause abortion in a pregnant woman although the woman is in fact not pregnant, or the actor does not believe she is.  A person charged with unjustified abortion under Subsection (1) or an attempt to commit that offense may be convicted thereof upon proof of conduct prohibited by this Subsection.

 (6) Distribution of Abortifacients.  A person who sells, offers to sell, possesses with intent to sell, advertises, or displays for sale anything specially designed to terminate a pregnancy, or held out by the actor as useful for that purpose, commits a misdemeanor, unless:

  (a) the sale, offer or display is to a physician or druggist or to an intermediary in a chain of distribution to physicians or druggists;  or

  (b) the sale is made upon prescription or order of a physician;  or

  (c) the possession is with intent to sell as authorized in paragraphs (a) and (b);  or

  (d) the advertising is addressed to persons named in paragraph (a) and confined to trade or professional channels not likely to reach the general public.

 (7) Section Inapplicable to Prevention of Pregnancy.  Nothing in this Section shall be deemed applicable to the prescription, administration or distribution of drugs or other substances for avoiding pregnancy, whether by preventing implantation of a fertilized ovum or by any other method that operates before, at or immediately after fertilization.