Gov. Dennis Dauggard signed a bill Tuesday making South Dakota the first state in the country to require women who seek an abortion to visit an anti-abortion counseling center before going ahead with the procedure.

This precedent-setting law also requires a 72-hour waiting period, the longest in the nation, and requires at least two visits to a physician and a screening for risk factors, in addition to the visit to a pregnancy crisis center. 

Gov. Dauggard did not speak to the press after signing the bill, but did release a written statement in defense of the bill.

“I think everyone agrees with the goal of reducing abortion by encouraging consideration of other alternatives,” he said. “I hope that women who are considering an abortion will use this three-day period to make good choices.”

Planned Parenthood announced that they will file a lawsuit because they believe that the new bill is unconstitutional.

“The 72-hour waiting period coupled with having to go to a crisis pregnancy center whose very mission is to dissuade women from going through with an abortion has grave constitutional concerns for us,” announced Kathi Di Nicola, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota.

Di Nicola believes that the new law would intrude on a woman’s right to make personal decisions about her medical treatment.

“It’s not going to do one thing to reduce unintended pregnancy or reduce abortion,” Di Nicola said. “We know women think carefully and consider all their options before making a decision like this.”

But proponents of the new law find the bill appropriate and necessary.

“This bill would ensure that the woman would be able to have access to both sides of the story, and will have access to some personal support as opposed to somebody just pressuring her to get an abortion,” says Roger Hunt, a South Dakota lawmaker and the bill’s main sponsor. “It seems to me that spending a little time talking to somebody and waiting 72 hours is nothing unreasonable.”

Supporters say the Planned Parenthood in Sioux Falls, the only Planned Parenthood in South Dakota, gives women little information or counseling before they have abortions done by doctors flown in from out of state.

“Women need to just be reminded of the fact there is a natural, legal relationship between them and their child,” said Rep. Roger Hunt, the main sponsor of the law.

Before the bill passed Tuesday, South Dakota had a 24-hour waiting period before continuing with the abortion.

The law takes effect July 1, 2011. Starting on that date, a doctor who has personally consulted with a woman seeking an abortion can schedule the procedure, but the woman must legally wait another 72 hours after the first consultation to continue with her decision.