In a special session convened on Tuesday, Iowa's Republican-led legislature approved a bill prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, typically when a fetal heartbeat is detectable. This move is expected to spark a legal challenge from pro-choice advocates. Governor Kim Reynolds, who called the special session, plans to sign the bill into law on Friday. The legislation makes exceptions for rape, incest, and situations where the mother's life is at risk, and it will become effective immediately upon the governor's signature.

Governor Reynolds expressed her support for the bill, stating her belief that the pro-life movement is the most crucial human rights cause of our time. Planned Parenthood North Central States has announced its intention to file a lawsuit against the legislation as early as next week and is currently directing women seeking abortions to out-of-state providers.

This new legislation follows the Iowa Supreme Court's refusal to reinstate a similar 2018 law, which had been deemed unconstitutional in 2019. The Reynolds administration had argued for the 2018 law's reinstatement following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.