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Culture & Conversation Abortion
This law was last updated on Oct 23, 2017
This law is Anti–Choice
SB 148
Current
Jan 19, 2017
Co-sponsors: 7
Primary Sponsors: 2
Total Sponsors: 9
SB 148 would create the offense of “infanticide” for physicians who fail to provide medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment to a infant who is born alive.
Born-Alive Infant Protection
The bill would prohibit any physician or other healthcare professional from denying or depriving an infant of nourishment with the intent to cause or allow the death of the infant for any reason, including without limitation:
The bill would prohibit any physician or other healthcare professional from depriving an infant of medically appropriate and reasonable medical care and treatment or surgical care.
A physician performing an abortion would need to take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a infant who is born alive.
If an abortion performed in a hospital results in a live birth, the attending physician would be required to:
If an abortion performed in a healthcare facility other than a hospital results in a live birth, the attending physician would be required to:
A physician, nurse, or other licensed healthcare professional would be committing infanticide if:
Infanticide would be a Class D felony.
The bill defines “infant who is born alive” to mean:
The complete expulsion or extraction of an infant from a mother, regardless of the state of gestational development, who shows any evidence of life, including without limitation: breathing; heartbeat; umbilical cord pulsation; or definite movement of voluntary muscles.
The bill defines “infant” to mean:
a child who has been completely expulsed or extracted from the mother, regardless of the stage of gestational development, until thirty (30) days after the birth.
If passed, the law would take effect on January 1, 2018.
Related Legislation
The bill is based on model legislation from Americans United for Life.
STATUS
Passed the senate on February 16, 2017 by a 34-0 vote.
Passed the house on February 27, 2017 by a 84-1 vote.
Approved by Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on March 7, 2017.
Co-sponsor
Primary Sponsor