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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah bill that would require health care providers to either bury or cremate aborted or miscarried fetal remains received its final passage Friday in the House and Senate.
“We worked with members of the medical community and doctors to resolve concerns with this bill,” said SB67 sponsor Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, in a statement.
“I am pleased that women and parents will now have the option to choose if they wish to bury or cremate their baby in the event of a miscarriage or abortion. I am pleased that fetal remains — like other human remains — will be treated with more dignity. This is not only better for pregnant women who lose children. This is better for our society,” he said.
Under the bill, women would be given a form that asks how she wants the remains taken care of, with the option not to select a method.
After originally passing the Senate in mid-February, the bill underwent tweaks when it moved to the House.
The bill faced opposition from many in the abortion-rights community who said it would increase trauma by forcing a decision on a woman about how to dispose of the remains. But Bramble emphasized women would not be required to make a decision, and could leave it up to the health care provider.
The bill awaits signing from Gov. Gary Herbert before it becomes law.
