Bill > HB714

This bill, titled the Prenatal Equal Protection Act, creates new legal provisions that allow for criminal charges of homicide and assault when the victim is an unborn child, meaning an individual from fertilization until live birth. These new laws apply the same legal principles used for crimes against born individuals to crimes against unborn children, with specific exceptions for spontaneous miscarriages (the natural or accidental termination of a pregnancy) and for life-saving medical procedures performed on a pregnant woman, provided reasonable steps are taken to save the unborn child's life. The bill also grants the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction with local prosecutors for investigating and prosecuting these offenses involving unborn child victims. Additionally, it repeals existing fetal homicide laws and makes conforming amendments to other statutes, while clarifying that these new provisions supersede any conflicting existing laws related to prenatal homicide, assault, or abortion.