Advocates for abortion rights have opposed the proposals, according to NPR, claiming they give doctors the right to withhold information from expectant parents so that they won't have an abortion. Supporters assert that the bills ensure that the life of a disabled child is valued as much as the life of a healthy one.
Arizona, Kansas and New Jersey are among the states where bills have been introduced, according to the news service.
The Arizona proposal would still allow lawsuits for "intentional or grossly negligent acts," according to NPR, but the Kansas and New Jersey bills do not include that caveat. Kansas also garnered abortion headlines Tuesday when Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill that would allow pharmacists to refuse to issue drugs that might lead to an abortion, according to the Kansas City Star.
NPR noted that wrongful birth lawsuits in Florida and Oregon have yielded multi-million dollar settlements for parents who sued their doctors after a child was born with birth defects.
