Delaware House committee releases bill protecting abortion rights

(AP) – A bill to ensure abortion remains legal in Delaware if the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade is ever overturned has been cleared by a House committee for a vote by the full chamber.

The bill, which narrowly cleared the Senate last week, was released Wednesday by the Democrat-controlled Health and Human Development Committee.

The legislation revises Delaware's current abortion law, which remains on the books despite being superseded by federal law.

The current law allows abortions only if the mother's health is at risk, if there is a substantial risk the child would be born with serious and permanent deformities or disabilities, or if pregnancy results from rape or incest. It also prohibits abortions beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy and requires parental consent for girls under 18.