SOUTH AUSTRALIA — The South Australian upper house passed the abortion bill by one vote. The bill permits abortions after 25 weeks of gestation only in cases of severe fetal abnormalities or threats to the mother's health. The lower house voted against the measure.

Sarah Game introduced the bill. Joanna Howe co-drafted it. Three newly elected One Nation legislative council members voted in favor in the upper house. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas supported the measure, as did state opposition leader Ashton Hurn.

The initial version of the bill proposed banning all abortions after 25 weeks of gestation. This initial proposal permitted abortions only when maternal death was likely. A legislative amendment added exemptions for severe fetal abnormalities.

Ranzcog, the Australian Medical Association, and the College of Midwives publicly opposed the bill. More than 90 percent of abortions in South Australia are performed during the first trimester. SA Health data indicates that in 2023, fewer than 1 percent of abortions, totaling 47 procedures, occurred after 23 weeks of gestation. The department reported that 37 of the 47 late-term procedures in 2023 were conducted for the physical or mental health of the mother, and 10 were conducted for fetal anomalies.

Abortion was decriminalized across all Australian states and territories by 2024. "Any abortion conducted at this stage is due to the life-limiting condition of the fetus and, or, serious threats to the pregnant woman’s health and life. It also requires the approval of two doctors," according to a statement regarding the bill.