In the near future, I will introduce legislation to ensure that pregnancy is properly considered when courts assign cash bail. Recent reporting makes clear how urgently this reform is needed.  

A November 2025 NBC News/Bloomberg Law investigation exposed widespread mistreatment of pregnant people in U.S. jails. An analysis of 54 civil rights lawsuits filed between 2017 and 2024 revealed that pregnant individuals in jails, many incarcerated pretrial on low level charges simply because they could not afford to pay cash bail, were routinely denied prenatal care and emergency medical assistance during labor or pregnancy complications.  

Tragically, many of these cases ended in the deaths of newborns. Three of the profiled cases were in Pennsylvania. We know that even short periods in jail can jeopardize maternal and fetal health. No incarcerated person should be denied basic healthcare while pregnant. 

Under my bill, there would be a rebuttable presumption against imposing cash bail on a pregnant individual. If a court believes cash bail is necessary, it must make specific, on-the-record findings that the individual poses a substantial public safety risk that outweighs the harm of potential pretrial detention during pregnancy.

Pennsylvania has made strides in protecting pregnant individuals in custody, and I remain committed to improving conditions. Yet recent investigative findings make clear that we must also reform cash bail practices that fail to consider the health needs of pregnant people when determining appropriate pretrial release conditions. 

In 2023, Colorado enacted similar legislation after a woman endured a painful, 5-hour unassisted childbirth in jail. She later secured a 6-figure settlement against the city and county. The case underscores that failing to address this problem not only places pregnant people at risk it exposes taxpayers to significant legal and financial liability. 

I invite you to join me as a sponsor of this legislation to ensure that pregnant individuals are treated with the basic humanity they deserve.