Washington Bill Prohibiting the Donation of Aborted Fetal Tissue (HB 1243)

HB 1243 would prohibit the sale, donation, or transfer of the body of a fetus whose death is the result of the application of an abortion procedure or technique.

This provision would not apply to the donation for medical research or use of any part of the body of a fetus whose death is the result of a miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, sickness, disease, accident, or crime caused to the fetus or the mother by a third party without the knowledge and consent of the mother.

Additionally, the bill would amend the current definition of “fetal death” to mean

[…]any product of conception that shows no evidence of life after complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother by or as the result of any means, including the application of any abortion procedure or technique.

The bill would include “the body of a dead fetus” when defining human remains. With this change, aborted fetuses would be required to be buried or cremated.

STATUS

If passed, this law would take effect immediately.

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