A PARLIAMENTARY report into proposed abortion reform laws is expected to be released next month after one more day of public hearings.
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The Legislative Council Committee into the Reproductive Health Bill has heard from 60 witnesses over five days of public hearings since August.
Committee chairman Huon MLC Paul Harriss said he was trying to arrange for the Department of Health and Human Services to reappear before the committee later this month to clarify some issues before the report was finalised.
"We are easily on track to have a report before we finish for the year, and the bill continued," Mr Harriss said.
The bill would remove abortion from the Criminal Code, allow consent-only abortion up to 16 weeks and require the approval of two doctors that it is necessary for physical, psychological or socio- economic reasons after 16 weeks.
It would also force doctors and counsellors with a conscientious objection to abortion to refer women to another service, with a maximum $32,500 fine for counsellors who do not comply, and establish "access zones" to ban protesting within 150 metres of an abortion clinic, with a maximum penalty of a $65,000 fine or a one- year jail term.
Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest said the legislation would regulate access to termination, but women would still be able to rely on existing laws if it did not pass the upper house.
"If you reject on the basis that you don't support the termination of pregnancy, it doesn't make it illegal - it's legal now, it's just in the Criminal Code," Ms Forrest said.