After Roe Fell: U.S. Abortion Laws by State

Illegal

Kentucky

Kentucky argues that the state can enforce its trigger ban to prohibit abortion; the trigger ban is currently in effect. However, in November 2022, voters rejected Prop 2, which would have specified that the state constitution does not protect abortion rights.

State Legal Details

Bans in Effect

  • Gestational Ban, 15-week LMP
  • Gestational Ban, 22-week LMP
  • Gestational Ban, 6-week LMP
  • Gestational Ban, Total Ban
  • Gestational Ban, Viability
  • Method Ban
  • Reason Ban
  • Telemedicine Ban
  • Trigger Ban

Restrictions in Effect

  • Biased Counseling Requirement
  • Mandatory Ultrasound Requirement
  • Parental Involvement, Parental Consent Requirement
  • TRAP Requirements: Facilities, Facility Requirements
  • TRAP requirements: Providers, Reporting Requirement
  • TRAP requirements: Providers, Transfer Agreement Requirement
  • Waiting Period Requirement

Restrictions

On June 24, 2022, Kentucky began enforcing its trigger ban, which prohibits abortion at all stages of pregnancy,1 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.2 The trigger ban was subject to an injunction,3 but the state Court of Appeals has since allowed the Attorney General to enforce the trigger ban.4 This order is currently being appealed.

[fn]EMW Women’s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, No. 2022-SC-0329-TG
(Ky. Aug. 18, 2022) (Denying plaintiff’s motion for emergency relief and transferring case).[/fn]

However, in November 2022, voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution, which specified that the constitution does not protect abortion or require funding for abortion care.5

Kentucky has not repealed other laws related to abortion. Kentucky law generally retains gestational bans at six weeks LMP, 15 weeks LMP, and post-viability. 6 A state Court of Appeals has allowed the six-week ban to take effect7 and this order is currently being appealed.8 State law also prohibits D&E, D&X, and saline instillation procedures9 and generally prohibits abortions sought for reasons of sex and race selection.10 Kentucky continues to include requirements that pregnant people must undergo a mandatory twenty-four-hour waiting period, biased counseling, and an ultrasound.11 State law includes prohibitions on public funding,12 and private insurance coverage.13 The state continues to require that a parent, legal guardian,14 or judge 15 consent to a minor’s abortion.

Kentucky retains targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws, including requirements related to facilities,16 transfer agreements,17 and reporting.18 Kentucky law continues to restrict the provision of abortion care to licensed physicians19 and still restricts providers from using telemedicine for the provision of abortion care.20 Providers who violate Kentucky’s abortion restrictions may face civil and criminal penalties.21

State Protections

Kentucky law does not include express constitutional or statutory protections for abortion. To the contrary, Kentucky’s policy preference is to ban abortion to the fullest extent of the law: “Children, whether born or unborn, are the greatest natural resource in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”22

Post-Roe Prohibitions

In 2019, Kentucky enacted a trigger ban,23 which is currently in effect.4 The state repealed its pre-Roe ban in 1974.25

Conclusion

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe, Kentucky is enforcing its trigger ban. However, in November 2022, voters rejected Prop 2, which would have specified that the state constitution does not protect abortion rights.

  1. Ky. Rev. Stat. u00a7 311.772. Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear), Twitter (June 24, 2022, 10:41 AM), https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1540344257814437888?s=20&t=v1z2jYk2jfRQZYbmv1rktg. ↩︎
  2. Dobbs v. Jackson Womenu2019s Health Org., 597 U.S (June 24, 2022), revu2019d Dobbs v. Jackson Womenu2019s Health Org., 945 F.3d 265, 274 (5th Cir. 2019). ↩︎
  3. EMW Womenu2019s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, RO No. 22-CI-003225 (Jefferson Cir. Ct., Div. 3, Jun. 29, 2022); EMW Womenu2019s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, RO No. 22-CI-003225 (Jefferson Cir. Ct., Div. 3, Jul. 21, 2022). ↩︎
  4. EMW Womenu2019s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, No. 2022-CA-0906-I (Ky. Ct. App., Aug. 1, 2022). ↩︎
  5. Act proposing an amend. to the Const. of Ky. relating to abortion, Act 174, 2021, https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/21RS/documents/0174.pdf. Lindsay Whitehurst, Abortion rights protected in Michigan, California, Vermont, AP News (Nov. 9, 2022). ↩︎
  6. KY. REV. STAT. u00a7 311.7705; H.B. 3. 2022 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Ky. 2022), amending KY. REV. STAT. u00a7u00a7 311.781-783; KY. REV. STAT. u00a7 311.780. ↩︎
  7. EMW Womenu2019s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, No. 2022-CA-0906-I (Ky. Ct. App., Aug. 1, 2022) ↩︎
  8. EMW Womenu2019s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, No. 2022-SC-0329-TG (Ky. Aug. 18, 2022) (Denying plaintiffu2019s motion for emergency relief and transferring case). ↩︎
  9. Ky. Rev. Stat. u00a7u00a7 311.787(2), 311.765, 311.770; Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, and Kentucky, Inc. v. Cameron, 599 F.Supp.3d 497 (W.D.Ky., Apr. 21, 2022) (D&E ban temporarily enjoined); Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, and Kentucky, Inc. v. Cameron, 2022 WL 2763712, at *1 (W.D.Ky., July 14, 2022) (injunction vacated in light of Dobbs) ↩︎
  10. Ky. Rev. Stat. u00a7 311.731(2); EMW Women’s Surgical Center, P.S.C. v. Beshear, 2019 WL 9047174, at *1 (W.D. Ky., Mar. 20, 2019) (reason bans temporarily enjoined); EMW Women’s Surgical Center, P.S.C. v. Cameron, u00a0No. 3:18CV-00224-DJH (W.D. Ky. Aug. 15, 2022) (vacated and dismissed in light of Dobbs). ↩︎
  11. KY. REV. STAT. u00a7u00a7 311.725, 311.727. ↩︎
  12. Id. u00a7 311.715. ↩︎
  13. Id. u00a7 304.5-160. ↩︎
  14. Id. u00a7 311.732(2)(a). ↩︎
  15. Id. u00a7 311.732(2)(c). ↩︎
  16. KY. REV. STAT. u00a7u00a7 216B.015, 216B.0431, 216B.990. ↩︎
  17. KY. REV. STAT. u00a7 216B.0435. ↩︎
  18. Id. u00a7 213.101. ↩︎
  19. Id. u00a7 311.750. ↩︎
  20. Id. u00a7 311.728. ↩︎
  21. See, e.g., id. u00a7u00a7 311.772, 311.990, 311.782, 213.101. ↩︎
  22. H.R. 96, 152nd Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (Ky. 2018). ↩︎
  23. KY. REV. STAT. u00a7 311.772. ↩︎
  24. EMW Womenu2019s Surgical Ctr., P.S.C. v. Cameron, No. 2022-CA-0906-I (Ky. Ct. App., Aug. 1, 2022). ↩︎
  25. 1974 Ky. Acts 487, 889 (“KRS 435.040 and 436.020 are repealed.”). ↩︎