State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) today announced that the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 125—legislation that, when enacted, will protect the lives of Ohio’s babies starting with their first detectable heartbeat.

House Bill 125, more commonly referred to as the Heartbeat Bill, will prohibit individuals from performing an abortion on a pregnant woman prior to testing whether the child she is carrying possesses a detectable heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected according to standard medical practice, an abortion will be prohibited by law unless the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother.

“In addition to focusing on jobs and Ohio’s business climate, we are also working to protect life—the most fundamental of human rights,” said Rep. Wachtmann.

A baby’s cardiac activity begins at a biologically identifiable time, normally when the heart is formed in the gestational sac. While as many as 30 percent of natural pregnancies end in spontaneous miscarriage, less than five percent of all natural pregnancies end in spontaneous miscarriage after the detection of fetal cardiac activity. Therefore, many believe that fetal heartbeat is a medical predictor that an unborn baby will reach viability and live birth.

House Bill 125 was introduced in February and has undergone extensive debate in the House. It will now be sent to the Ohio Senate for further debate and consideration.