Bill > HB4671

This bill introduces the "Justice for Babies in the Womb Act," which amends the Michigan penal code to treat unborn children as legal persons from the moment of fertilization. The bill defines an "unborn child" as a living human being from the point of fertilization and applies existing legal definitions of assault and homicide to crimes against unborn children. The legislation allows for certain exceptions, such as life-saving medical procedures for the mother, procedures intended to save the unborn child's life or health, and spontaneous miscarriages. The bill ensures that legal principles, defenses, and protections that apply to born individuals would also apply to unborn children, and includes a specific provision that allows the mother to use duress as a defense if charged with a crime against her own unborn child. Additionally, the bill repeals a previous section of the penal code (Section 322) and establishes that these new provisions take precedence over any conflicting existing laws. The primary effect of this bill is to provide legal protections for unborn children at all stages of development and to treat harm against them similarly to harm against born individuals.

Justice

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4671