Bill > HB1041

This bill creates a new criminal offense called "abortion trafficking" in Mississippi, specifically targeting adults who help unemancipated minors (individuals under 18 who are legally under parental/guardian control) obtain abortions without parental consent. The bill defines abortion as using any instrument, medicine, drug, or device to terminate a known pregnancy, and makes it a felony for an adult to recruit, harbor, or transport a pregnant unemancipated minor within or outside the state with the intent to conceal an abortion from her parents or guardian. The criminal penalties for abortion trafficking include a fine between $1,000 and $10,000, imprisonment in the Department of Corrections for 2-5 years, or both. The bill provides an affirmative defense if a parent or guardian consents to the minor's transportation, and explicitly states that the location of the abortion provider does not matter. Additionally, the bill grants the Mississippi Attorney General the discretion to prosecute such cases if local prosecutors decline to do so. The law is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and aims to restrict minors' access to abortion services without parental knowledge or consent.

Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB1041.xml