ATLANTA – The current Georgia law permits abortions until 20 weeks into pregnancy. The new “Heartbeat Bill” – House Bill 481 – would ban most abortions six weeks after conception.

Early Monday morning protestors joined together in disagreement as those who voted in support of the bill left the committee room shortly after a Senate panel’s decision. The AJC reported that they chanted, “shame,” and, “no safe seats,” as Republican lawmakers were escorted.

Ed Setzler, the bill’s sponsor and Republican Representative, has called for action to recognize a fetus with a heartbeat as its own person. With this bill, women would be allowed to get later abortions in the cases of rape, incest, the life of the mother being at risk, or the fetus having no chance of survival after birth.

Additional Information to Note for House Bill 428:

• The bill has been amended to allow expecting mothers to collect from fathers costs associated with pregnancy and delivering a child.

• The bill would allow parents to claim an embryo as a dependent on their taxes once a heartbeat is detected; will also count a fetus towards the census of the state’s population.

Democratic State Senator Valencia Seay stated that she has, “made an attempt to try to get a commonsense approach to women having a right to do what it is they do, and that is to give birth.” Seay expressed that her heart was heavy after the vote. The panel considered three amendments from the democratic senator, which would have transformed the legislation in a big way. All three were routed with a vote of 3-2 on a party line.

The legislation will be considered for a Senate floor vote as soon as this week after scarcely passing the Georgia House earlier this month. Taking the bill’s alteration into consideration, it will have to go back to the House for the chamber’s approval before it makes its way to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk.

Kemp is expected to sign the legislation if it passes.