A hearing was held on a bill banning partial-birth abortions Thursday in the state Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics.

According to Assembly Bill 710, partial-birth abortion occurs when a fetus is partially delivered and then terminated outside the woman’s body

The bill includes exceptions for women whose pregnancies put their lives in danger.

No exception is made for non-lethal threats to a woman’s health under the current bill, according to bill author state Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon.

Ott said the proposed amendment regardign non-lethal danger to a woman’s health would “make the law meaningless,” and doctors who want to perform partial birth abortions could do so claiming the purpose is “for the health of the mother,” without having to verify it.

The bill mirrors an existing federal ban but is more specific on the term “partial birth abortion” and protects the federal ban from being challenged in Wisconsin, according to Ott.

Ott said the bill is important because Wisconsin should match the current federal law, but also because partial-birth abortions are morally wrong.

“What does the killing of that baby accomplish? How does that help the woman?” Ott said.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in testimony before the committee that he believes the bill is constitutional in its current form. He said his personal beliefs did not influence his decision.

The abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin opposes the bill and said in a release the bill is not needed because of the federal law and disregards the importance of a woman’s health.

Alta Charo, UW-Madison professor of law and bioethics, also said the bill is irresponsible toward women’s health and does not leave any possibilities for change.

“If federal law were to change, having this bill passed in Wisconsin would mean that these limitations would remain in Wisconsin,” Charo said.