Montana ‘Personhood’ Amendment (HB 490)

HB 490 would amend the Montana Constitution to read as follows: “Section 17. Due process of law. (1) No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”

The bill states that the word “person” would apply “to all members of the species Homo sapiens at any stage of development, including the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.”

The bill would ban abortion, birth control pills, IUDs, and emergency contraception. In addition, it would eliminate certain medical choices for women, including some cancer treatments and in vitro fertilization, and might lead to investigation and prosecution of women who miscarry to determine if their own actions caused the death of the fetus.

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