The bill, sponsored by Republican House Majority Leader Tim Jones, received a 9-1 vote in the committee.

The legislation requires abortion practitioners to determine if the unborn child is past 20 weeks using various tests and to determine if the baby is viable. The bill also changes the Missouri definition of viability to include human life that can be "sustained" outside of the womb with or without life support as opposed to life that can be "continued indefinitely." According to an AP report, if the baby is determined to not be viable the abortion practitioner would have to issue a report to the state health department indicating so and explaining why.

A second licensed physician would have to sign off on the abortion to ensure state law was followed at the time of the abortion. Any abortion practitioner violating the law could face a year in prison and a three year suspension of his medical license.