Wyo. Gov. Mark Gordon signs heartbeat bill into law

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, March 14, 2026

Wyoming has become the latest state to enact a ban on abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This follows the state Supreme Court ruling that the state’s near-total abortion ban was unconstitutional. 

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed the heartbeat bill into law this week. Gordon’s approval of House Bill 126 comes after the Republican-controlled Wyoming House of Representatives passed it in a 51-7 vote last month, while the Republican-controlled Wyoming Senate supported the legislation in a 27-4 vote. While most support for the legislation came from Republicans and most opposition came from Democrats, two Republicans in each chamber voted against it.

Carol Tobias, president of the pro-life advocacy group National Right to Life, praised the passage of House Bill 126 in a statement on Tuesday. “We thank Governor Gordon for signing this vital law,” she said. “Wyoming’s action reflects an ongoing national conversation about how our laws should recognize the humanity of the unborn child while ensuring that her mother receives appropriate care.” 

Gordon’s approval of House Bill 126 comes two months after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down a near-total abortion ban in the state as a violation of Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution, which gives people “the right to make his or her own health care decisions.” 

The text of House Bill 126 suggests that the measure will survive court scrutiny in light of the Wyoming Supreme Court’s January opinion on the near-total abortion ban because the ruling acknowledged that the state has an interest “in protecting the life that an abortion would end.” The legislation subjects anyone who violates the bill’s provisions to a prison term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to $10,000, as well as the revocation of their professional license. 

Additional provisions of the legislation require physicians performing abortions to offer the patient an opportunity to view an ultrasound of their unborn child and prohibit physicians from performing abortions on minors unless they notify the minor’s parents at least 48 hours in advance and receive written consent from both the minor and at least one of the child’s parents. Any exceptions to the provision about parental consent for abortion must be adjudicated in court. 

Assuming House Bill 126 is allowed to stand, Wyoming will become the fifth state to have a heartbeat bill in place. The pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which keeps track of pro-life laws at the state level, lists Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina as other states with heartbeat bills on the books. 

Wyoming’s heartbeat bill and its previous near-total abortion ban are among several pro-life laws implemented at the state level following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, which found that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion.

Currently, 12 states protect unborn babies throughout all nine months of pregnancy with limited exceptions: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. 

Nebraska and North Carolina have laws on the books that prohibit abortions after 12 weeks gestation, while North Dakota and Utah have near-total abortion bans tied up in litigation. The remaining 29 states have few or no pro-life protections.