The legislation was passed by the Tennessee House of Representatives 70-20 and by the Senate 23-5. Both chambers have a Republican majority. The bill criminalizes abortion on an unborn child where a fetal heartbeat is detected – sometimes as early as six weeks into the woman’s pregnancy. Medical practitioners are required to offer the woman an ultrasound or to hear the heartbeat, though she does not have to do either.

The bill also requires that women having a chemical abortion must be told that “it may be possible to reverse” the process if she changes her mind, although “time is of the essence.” Under the ...