H.B. No. 144 aims to enhance the legal protections for unborn children in Texas by recognizing them as individuals with rights from the moment of fertilization. The bill amends the Penal Code to define "individual" as a human being who is alive, including unborn children at every stage of development, and introduces new sections that apply existing criminal laws equally to offenses against unborn victims as they do to those against born individuals. Additionally, it seeks to repeal laws that allow for prenatal homicide and pressure on pregnant women to obtain abortions, thereby reinforcing the right to life and equal protection for preborn children.

The bill also includes provisions that clarify the applicability of criminal and civil laws concerning unintentional injuries or deaths of unborn children, specifically exempting cases resulting from lifesaving procedures for pregnant mothers or spontaneous miscarriages. It repeals certain existing sections of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code and the Penal Code that may conflict with these new protections. The changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will only apply to offenses committed or conduct occurring after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Penal Code 1.07, Civil Practice and Remedies Code 71.003 (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 71, Penal Code 1)