Ballot Title Setting Board
2005-2006

The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

An amendment to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning the regulation of post-viability abortions, and, in connection therewith, defining “abortion” as the use of any means to terminate a person’s pregnancy with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the person’s unborn offspring; defining “viable fetus” as a fetus that has attained that stage of fetal development when its life may be continued indefinitely outside the womb by natural or artificial life‑supportive systems; prohibiting the performance of an abortion on a viable fetus unless the abortion is based on a medical emergency; imposing certain requirements on a post‑viability abortion that is based on a medical emergency; imposing criminal sanctions for knowingly or recklessly performing post‑viability abortions in violation of the measure; requiring a physician who performs an abortion on a viable fetus to file with the department of public health and environment a report concerning the abortion; and requiring each facility in Colorado in which an abortion of a viable fetus is performed to file with the department of public health and environment a quarterly report concerning the abortions on viable fetuses performed in the facility.

The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning the regulation of post-viability abortions, and, in connection therewith, defining “abortion” as the use of any means to terminate a person’s pregnancy with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the person’s unborn offspring; defining “viable fetus” as a fetus that has attained that stage of fetal development when its life may be continued indefinitely outside the womb by natural or artificial life‑supportive systems; prohibiting the performance of an abortion on a viable fetus unless the abortion is based on a medical emergency; imposing certain requirements on a post‑viability abortion that is based on a medical emergency; imposing criminal sanctions for knowingly or recklessly performing post‑viability abortions in violation of the measure; requiring a physician who performs an abortion on a viable fetus to file with the department of public health and environment a report concerning the abortion; and requiring each facility in Colorado in which an abortion of a viable fetus is performed to file with the department of public health and environment a quarterly report concerning the abortions on viable fetuses performed in the facility?

Hearing January 18, 2006

Single subject approved; staff draft adopted; titles set.
Hearing adjourned 3:00 p.m.

* Unofficially captioned “Abortion of Viable Fetuses” by legislative staff for tracking purposes. Such caption is not part of the titles set by the Board.