COLUMBIA - Legislators postponed a vote Tuesday on whether a woman seeking an abortion should be required to review an ultrasound image of her fetus.

Though the House version of the bill, approved in March, would mandate an ultrasound before every abortion and require a doctor show the woman the image, the Senate approved a version last month saying women must be given the option to view it.

A six-member conference committee made no progress Tuesday on the differences but agreed to meet again should the Legislature return for a limited session later this month.

The bill's chief sponsor, Rep. Greg Delleney, said he won't budge much. Abortion bills don't come up in the General Assembly often because they're so controversial, the Chester Republican said.

Abortion clinics already perform ultrasounds to verify the age of the fetus, so requiring an ultrasound in every case shouldn't be a problem, Mr. Delleney said. Also, a clause added by the House two weeks ago saying a woman can't be required to view the images against her will should help the bill pass a legal test, he said.

However, Sen. Mike Fair said requiring a doctor to review the image with the woman still is legally questionable. He thinks pushing a mandate accomplishes nothing, especially because the House bill does not test the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal, the Greenville Republican said.

Mr. Fair, who led a panel that drafted the Senate version, said the House bill would only invite lawsuits and delay women from being told they can view the images, which could make some of them decide to keep their child or decide on adoption.