Less than two weeks after Arkansas put into law, what was then, the most strict abortion limit, limiting the procedure to pregnancies that were under 12 weeks North Dakota passed legislation that lowers the limit to 6 weeks after conception.

The Republican majority legislature also banned the ability if its citizens from obtaining an abortion if known genetic abnormalities are detected in the fetus. The measure also bans sex-selective abortions.

There is no other state that has proposed banning abortive procedures for fetus' that have genetic problems such as Down syndrome. There are currently three states that ban sex selection based abortions, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Arizona.

The last step for this to become law is to be signed by the North Dakota Governor, Jack Dalrymple, a Republican. He has not, as of yet, stated if he would sign the law or veto it.

"We urge the governor to veto all of these bills to ensure that this personal and private decision can be made by a woman and her family, not politicians sitting in the Capitol," said Jennifer Dalven, the director of the A.C.L.U.'s Reproductive Freedom Project.

The supreme court has ruled that abortions can be performed up until the 24 week limit. This is the earliest that a fetus can survive outside of the womb and various abortion rights groups have stated that the law will be struck down by the Supreme Court for being unconstitutional.

The law does make for exceptions in the case of medical emergencies, or to save the life of the mother but does not allow an abortion for victims of rape or incest.