Bill > HB1551

This bill creates a new criminal offense called "coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud" in Arkansas state law. Specifically, the bill defines an abortion as a chemical abortion and an abortion-inducing drug as any substance intended to cause an abortion, including medications like mifepristone and misoprostol, while excluding drugs used for other medical purposes like chemotherapy or ectopic pregnancy treatment. The law makes it a Class B felony for a person to knowingly administer an abortion-inducing drug to a pregnant woman without her knowledge or consent with the purpose of causing an abortion. The bill explicitly states that a person prosecuted under this new law can still be prosecuted under other existing laws if the administration of the abortion-inducing drug causes death or bodily injury to the pregnant woman or unborn child. This legislation appears to be designed to criminalize non-consensual attempts to terminate a pregnancy through chemical means, adding an additional layer of legal protection against such actions.

Justice

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1551&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R