For 30 years, Roe v. Wade let states regulate abortions after the first trimester of pregnancy and ban them once a fetus can live outside the womb except when necessary to protect the life or health of the woman. Later rulings have upheld a range of state restrictions if they do not impose an "undue burden" on women.
Following are state restrictions on abortion:
Eighteen states enforce waiting periods after state-ordered counseling:
Alabama .......... 24 hours
Nebraska ..........24 hours
Arkansas ..........Prior to and not on the same day
North Dakota ..... 24 hours
Idaho ............ 24 hours
Ohio ............. 24 hours
Indiana .......... 18 hours
Pennsylvania .... 24 hours
Kansas ........... 24 hours
South Carolina .... 1 hour
Kentucky ..........24 hours
South Dakota ..... 24 hours
Louisiana ....... 24 hours
Utah ............ 24 hours
Michigan ......... 24 hours
Virginia ......... 24 hours
Mississippi ..... 24 hours
Wisconsin ....... 24 hours
States that require two visits to a health care provider as a condition of counseling. Indiana and Ohio requirements for two in-person counseling visits are under court injunction.
Four states have mandatory waiting periods that are not enforced:
Delaware — 24-hour wait held unenforceable by the state attorney general
Massachusetts— 24-hour wait enjoined by courts
Montana — 24-hour wait enjoined by courts
Tennessee— 48-to-72-hour wait enjoined by court
Seven states require state-directed counseling with no waiting period:
Alaska, California, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada and Rhode Island. State-directed counseling is under court injunction in Florida and Missouri.
Most states require parental involvement if minors have abortions.
Eighteen require parental consent: Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Four cannot enforce parental consent requirements, Alaska, California and Ohio because of court injunctions, and New Mexico because the attorney general found it unenforceable.
Fourteen require parental notification: Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
Seven states are enjoined from enforcing parent notification: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey and Oklahoma.
Eight do not require parental involvement: Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington plus the District of Columbia.
Forty states have restrictions on abortion once a fetus is viable:
Seventeen meet the Supreme Court test allowing late-term abortions to preserve a woman's life or health: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin plus the District of Columbia.
Nineteen are awaiting challenge to determine if they meet the Supreme Court test: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming.
Four states' restrictions on late-term abortions are not in effect: Delaware's was judged unenforceable by the state attorney general, while courts have enjoined Minnesota's, Ohio's and Utah's restrictions.
Seventeen states use public funds to pay for medically necessary abortions to preserve a woman's health or life.
Hawaii, Maryland, New York and Washington do so voluntarily.
Another 13 states are under court order to do so: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Mew Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and West Virginia.
Thirty-two states prohibit funding of medically necessary abortions sought by Medicaid recipients except when the woman's life is in danger or in cases of rape or incest: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming plus the District of Columbia.
South Dakota pays for Medicaid abortions only if a continued pregnancy would kill the woman.
Source: Alan Guttmacher Institute, policies are effective as of Dec. 1, 2002.