Iowa Governor Signs Abortion Ban Into Law On Friday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the legislation that prohibits abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected. Women in the state who seek an abortion will have to undergo an abdominal ultrasound to test for a heartbeat, which can be detected about six weeks into a pregnancy. Reynolds, a Republican, has spoken out against abortion in the past, and the state enacted legislation in 2017 to prevent abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The law will go into effect July 1 if courts don’t intervene to stop it.
