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Bill Summary · HB 804

HB 804 — "Human Life Protection Act of 2025"

Status: Passed 1st Reading (introduced Nov 12, 2024). Effective date in bill: July 1, 2025 (if enacted).

Purpose / Intent

The bill seeks to prohibit abortion from the point of fertilization except in very limited circumstances necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant person. It also repeals existing statutory provisions and regulatory frameworks concerning abortion and imposes criminal, civil, and professional penalties on persons who perform prohibited abortions.

Key definitions (select)

  • Fertilization: defined as when a male sperm penetrates the zona pellucida of a female ovum.
  • Unborn child: an individual of the human species from fertilization until birth (includes embryonic and fetal stages).
  • Abortion: use/prescription of any instrument, drug, substance, device or means with intent to cause the death of an unborn child (exclusions: birth control devices/oral contraceptives; removal of a dead unborn child after spontaneous abortion; treatment of ectopic pregnancy; actions to save life/preserve health of unborn child).

Main substantive provisions

  • Prohibition: Except as provided in the bill, it is unlawful to knowingly perform, induce, or attempt an abortion at any point after fertilization.
  • Narrow medical exception: An abortion is permitted only if all of the following are met:
    • The person performing it is a licensed physician;
    • In the physician’s reasonable medical judgment, the pregnant person has a life‑threatening physical condition (aggravated by or arising from pregnancy) that places them at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function unless the abortion is performed;
    • The procedure is done in a way that, in the physician’s judgment, gives the unborn child the best opportunity to survive unless that approach would create a greater risk to the patient’s life or major bodily function.
  • Accidental or unintentional fetal death resulting from medical treatment by a licensed physician is explicitly not a violation.

Penalties and enforcement

  • Criminal penalties:
    • Violation resulting in the death of an unborn child: Class B1 felony.
    • Any other violation: Class B2 felony.
  • Civil penalty: Minimum $100,000 per violation; the Attorney General must bring actions to recover penalties and may recover attorneys’ fees and costs. Proceeds go to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund.
  • Professional discipline: Licensing authority must revoke license/permit/registration of physicians or health care professionals who violate the prohibition.
  • The bill preserves other civil remedies (it does not displace civil suits).

Effect on parties and systems

  • Affects: physicians and other health care providers (criminal, civil, licensing exposure); abortion clinics and facilities (statutory repeal and licensing changes); pregnant persons (access to abortion restricted but explicitly protected from criminal, civil, or administrative liability for having an abortion); state Attorney General (civil enforcement role); medical licensing boards.
  • Repeals prior statutory framework and certain health‑care licensing provisions related to abortion (explicitly repeals Articles cited in the bill), which would change the existing regulatory structure for abortion services.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The bill contains a severability clause.
  • The bill specifies it applies to abortions performed, induced, or attempted on or after its effective date (July 1, 2025).
  • Given the scope of the prohibition and penalties, implementation would likely prompt legal challenges and substantial administrative changes to licensing and health‑care regulation should the bill become law.

(Prepared from the bill text titled "Human Life Protection Act of 2025" as provided.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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