Bill > HB581

This bill proposes to update Missouri's legal definitions and provisions related to abortion by modifying section 188.015 of the state's revised statutes. The bill redefines key terms like "abortion" as a medical treatment intended to terminate a pregnancy (except to produce a live birth), and updates language to use more gender-neutral terminology, replacing "woman" with "person" throughout the text. The bill introduces a new provision that explicitly protects a person's right to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability or when necessary to protect the person's life or health, as determined by a licensed physician. It also modifies definitions of medical terms like "viability" to be more flexible, now describing it as the point at which a fetus has a reasonable likelihood of survival outside the uterus without extraordinary medical measures. Importantly, the bill includes language preventing prosecution under state criminal law for actions permitted under this section and includes a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the provision is found invalid, the rest remains in effect. This represents a significant shift in Missouri's approach to abortion legislation by providing broader protections for abortion access.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB581&year=2025&code=R