North Carolina Bill Prohibiting Fetal Tissue Donation (HB 297)

HB 297 would prohibit the sale or donation of fetal tissue obtained from an abortion or miscarriage. The bill would also prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from contracting with any health care provider for family planning or other services if that provider performs abortion.

Fetal Tissue Donation

HB 297 would make it a Class I felony for any person to “transfer from one person to another in exchange for any consideration whatsoever” fetal tissue produced as the result of an abortion or miscarriage. Remains would need to be cremated, incinerated, or buried instead.

If a mother wants to donate the remains of her “unborn child” after a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage to a research facility, she would need to provide informed written consent prior to the donation.

Family Planning Funds

HB 297 would prohibit health care facilities that provide abortions from receiving state funds for  “family planning services, pregnancy prevention activities, or adolescent parenting programs.”

STATUS

HB 297 was originally filed as a bill regarding the administration of child support services. The child support text was stripped and replaced while in committee.

Signed into law by Gov. McCrory on October 1, 2015.

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