The Iowa Board of Medicine is beginning the process of setting rules doctors must follow if the so-called fetal heartbeat abortion ban takes effect. The law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy has been blocked in court, but the Iowa Supreme Court will hear a request to let it move forward. The rules being considered say doctors must ask questions to determine if rape or incest occurred for that exception to be used. Doctor Deborah Turner, the League of Women Voters president, told the Board that would traumatize patients.
Deputy Attorney General Leif Olson disagreed with that.
Doctors who violate the rules could be subject to discipline. A public comment period on the rules is set to begin December 13th.
