SPONSOR: Whaley
This bill establishes the "Missouri Prenatal Equal Protection Act". This bill states the intent of the General Assembly to acknowledge the sanctity of innocent human life, which should be protected from the beginning of biological development to natural death and to abolish abortion in this state.
The bill provides that any person accused of committing any criminal offense against a person under the laws of this State where the victim is an unborn child will be prosecuted in a county venue as provided in the bill. The affirmative defense of duress for the offense of murder will be allowed when the victim is an unborn child and the defendant is the child's mother. It will be a justifiable defense if a medical procedure is performed by a licensed physician on a pregnant female to avert the death of the female which results in the accidental or unintentional death of the unborn child and all reasonable alternatives to save the life of the unborn child were unavailable or were unsuccessful.
The bill adds the definition of person in the criminal code to include a human being, including an unborn child at every stage of development from the moment of fertilization until birth.
The bill contains a referendum clause.
This bill is similar to HB 1072 (2025).
Statutes affected: