{"id":373414,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:19","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/kansas-law\/kansas-abortion-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-07-31T10:21:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T15:21:00","slug":"kansas-abortion-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/kansas-law\/kansas-abortion-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Kansas Abortion Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kansas Abortion Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Abortion is legal in Kansas until the fetus reaches a gestational age of 22 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman or to prevent a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.<\/p>\r\n

Kansas Abortion Law After <\/b>Dobbs<\/i><\/h2>\r\n

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Roe v. Wade<\/i><\/a>, finding that the individual right to privacy included a woman’s decision to end a pregnancy. The case provided a constitutional right to abortion, legalizing abortion services nationwide.<\/p>\r\n

In 2022, overruling decades of case precedent, the current Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization<\/i><\/a>, <\/i>rejecting any constitutional protection for abortion. The court overturned its prior ruling in Roe<\/i> and returned the authority to regulate and even prohibit abortion to the states.<\/p>\r\n

In the aftermath of Dobbs<\/i>, abortion rights vary from state to state. Some states enacted abortion bans while others approved new abortion restrictions. In contrast, many states took steps to enact protections for reproductive rights in state law.<\/p>\r\n

In 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court<\/a> ruled that the Kansas Constitution provided an independent basis for the right to abortion. It upheld earlier decisions by lower state courts granting an injunction against a state law that would have ended most second-trimester abortions. As a result, the Dobbs<\/i> decision did not result in immediate changes to abortion care in Kansas.<\/p>\r\n

Kansas Abortion Statutes<\/h2>\r\n

Like many other states, abortion laws<\/a> in Kansas reflect the tension between individual rights and political views related to abortion. The state government includes a substantial Republican majority in the Kansas legislature who oppose abortion. In contrast, Governor Laura Kelly is a pro-choice Democrat.<\/p>\r\n

Although abortion remains legal in Kansas until the fetus reaches 22 weeks gestational age, the state still maintains several restrictive laws related to abortion.  These include:<\/p>\r\n