Mississippi Gestational Age Act

E15219

The Mississippi Gestational Age Act is a 2018 Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and served as the central statute in the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Mississippi state statute
United States state law
abortion law
allowsExceptionFor medical emergency
severe fetal abnormality
appliesTo pregnancies at or beyond 15 weeks gestational age
centralInCase Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
challengedInCourt Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
constitutionalQuestion whether pre-viability abortion bans are permissible under the U.S. Constitution
controversial true
country United States
doesNotProvideExceptionFor incest
rape
effectiveIn 2018
enforcedBy State of Mississippi
geographicScope within the state of Mississippi
gestationalLimit 15 weeks
impact significantly restricted access to abortion after 15 weeks in Mississippi
influencedBy anti-abortion movement in the United States
jurisdiction State of Mississippi
languageFocus gestational age rather than fetal viability
legalArea constitutional law
health law
legalOutcomeAssociation overruling of Planned Parenthood v. Casey
overruling of Roe v. Wade
legislativeBody Mississippi Legislature
levelOfGovernment state
litigationTarget Jackson Women’s Health Organization
notableFor being the statute at issue in the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade
opposedBy abortion rights advocates
politicalContext part of broader efforts to restrict abortion access in the United States
prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy
regulates abortion providers
relatedTo Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
Roe v. Wade
resultedIn U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing states greater authority to regulate or ban abortion
shortDescription Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy
signedBy Phil Bryant
signingDate 2018-03-19
state Mississippi
subject abortion in Mississippi
abortion regulation
reproductive rights
typeOfRestriction gestational age limit
yearEnacted 2018


Please wait…