May 3 (UPI) -- Republican lawmakers in North Carolina Wednesday unveiled legislation that would further restrict abortion in that state.
The Care for Women, Children, and Families Act passed its only scheduled committee meeting Wednesday morning in the state Legislature.
An agreement between Republican state representatives and senators saw the bill bypass the typical committee process via a procedural move.
The legislation would limit most abortions to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It makes exceptions for cases of rape and incest, extending the cutoff to 20 weeks in both cases. It also establishes a 24-week limit for fetal abnormalities.
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There is no time limit on performing abortions in order to save the life of the mother.
The bill would make it illegal for a person or entity to provide abortion-inducing drugs to a woman. Doing so would come with a $5,000 fine for each violation. A similar $5,000 fine would apply to anyone illegally advertising abortion-inducing drugs.
The bill also establishes $160 million in state funding for things such as childcare and "other pro-family measures." Of that total, $75 million would be dedicated to expanding access to childcare.
Legislators cited a recent poll that showed 57% of people in North Carolina favored restricting abortion.
"The 'Care for Women, Children, and Families Act' is reasonable, commonsense legislation that will protect more lives than at any point in the last 50 years," Republican State Sen. Joyce Krawiec, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement.
"We are beginning the process of creating a culture that values life, and that's something we can all be incredibly proud of," she said.
Wednesday's news comes as several states across the country enact new legislation restricting abortion.
Several states have also started stockpiling abortion drugs with a possible ban looming in the courts.
A study released Wednesday found Internet searches for abortion-related terms increased in states with restrictive laws either passed or pending, since last June when the Supreme Court struck down a woman's right to abortion.
