CHEYENNE, WY – Yesterday, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed a “fetal heartbeat” law that protects unborn babies by banning abortion in the state at about six weeks of pregnancy, which is before many women even know they are pregnant. The law makes Wyoming the fifth state to protect unborn babies at six weeks gestational age.

HB 126, or the “Human Heartbeat Act,” overwhelmingly passed in the Wyoming Senate 27-4 and in the state House 47-7.

The “Human Heartbeat Act” bans abortions after a heartbeat can be detected. However, it does include exceptions for medical emergencies when the mother’s life is in danger, or her health is at risk of serious impairment. The law does not include exceptions for rape or incest.

“The state has a compelling interest in protecting the life of unborn members of the human race who cannot protect themselves,” reads the law. The act states that “medical evidence shows” a fetal heartbeat is a “key indicator that an unborn child is alive and will reach live birth.” Therefore, the law notes, it is an obligation of the state and its people to “support and encourage childbirth” to protect the state’s “future population” and “future stability.”

In January 2026, the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down two of the state’s previous abortion bans, “The Life as a Human Right Act,” which had banned virtually all abortions, and a chemical abortion ban that outlawed abortion pills. The state’s high court ruled both laws interfered with the right of Wyomingites to make their own health decisions.

Wyoming joins Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and South Carolina in protecting babies with six-week “heartbeat” laws.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Every human being in the womb has the inalienable right to life. Wyoming officials have recognized that protecting human life is the key to our future where we need to stand up and be a voice for those who cannot protect themselves. Every state should protect the most vulnerable among us.”

For more information about state laws protecting unborn life, visit Liberty Counsel’s website here.

Liberty Counsel——Bio and Archives

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.

Support Canada Free Press