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A House committee on Wednesday considered a bill that would make it illegal for doctors to perform abortions after a heartbeat is detected. The "Heartbeat Protection Act," authored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if the fetus has a "detectable" heart beat.  (Hellmann, 11/1)

Iowa's Steve King, who introduced the bill, H.R. 490 (115), made clear that he wants to bring fetal heartbeat legislation to the Supreme Court to challenge the Roe decision. President Donald Trump is reshaping the courts “with strong conservative nominees who would hear arguments about this bill while it is being challenged on the way to the Supreme Court,” King said at House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on his bill. “President Trump will hopefully appoint one or two more justices to the Supreme Court, making this a profound moment in the Pro-Life movement.” (Haberkorn, 11/1)

Northwest women seeking financial help for an abortion now have one number to call. The Network for Reproductive Options in Oregon and The CAIR Project in Washington state are merged Thursday to form one abortion fund. The new Northwest Abortion Access Fund will have a budget of nearly $315,000 and will serve women in Oregon, Washington State, Idaho and Alaska. The organization is expected to serve at about 1,000 people a year, with an average grant of $180 to help pay for the procedure or expenses, such as travel. The average cost of an abortion in the first trimester costs $650 in the Northwest, the organization said in a release. (Terry, 11/1)

Women's health groups are going to court Thursday morning over Texas' new ban on a common type of second-trimester abortion. Whole Woman's Health and other abortion rights groups sued in July after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill banning "dilation and evacuation" abortions. The law would make performing such abortions a crime, and doctors could face fines or jail time. In August, U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel granted the groups a temporary restraining order against the law until Nov. 22. (Wang, 11/2)

Texas abortion providers are set to be in to court Thursday to try to block part of a new state law restricting the most common second-trimester abortion procedure. ..At issue is part of Senate Bill 8, a state law passed earlier this year, that bans dilation and evacuation abortions — deemed the safest way to terminate a second-trimester abortion by medical professionals — unless the fetus is deceased. (Najmabadi, 11/2)

After a lengthy, emotional debate, the Ohio House approved a controversial bill Wednesday that would ban abortions in cases in which the fetus might have Down syndrome.The vote was 63-30. The measure, Ohio Right to Life’s top legislative priority this year, now goes to the Senate, where an identical bill is pending. (Henry, 11/2)