South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds has introduced new legislation aimed at banning a specific second-trimester abortion procedure.
The bill, known as the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026, was introduced alongside Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
The proposed legislation would prohibit a medical procedure known as dilation and evacuation, often abbreviated as D&E. Under the bill, doctors who knowingly perform the procedure could face fines and up to two years in prison.
The measure does not include criminal penalties for women seeking abortions.
In a statement, Rounds said the bill is designed to protect unborn children, while Hyde-Smith described the procedure as inhumane.
A companion version of the bill has also been introduced in the U.S. House by a Florida lawmaker.
Several anti-abortion organizations back the proposal and will now move forward through the congressional legislative process.
