January 15, 2015
Ten states have enacted legislation to protect unborn children from abortion from the point of 20 weeks’ gestation, the start of the sixth month. The legislation is based on the developing baby’s ability to feel pain at that point, if not before, during the abortion process.
Similar legislation passed the US House during the 113th Congress but was not brought to a vote in the Senate. The 114th Congress, strengthened by Republican gains in both the House and the Senate, will again address the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill was reintroduced January 6, 2015, by Rep Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Rep Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). A companion bill will be introduced in the US Senate by Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
To review evidence regarding fetal pain, visit Doctors on Fetal Pain, National Right to Life, and Pain of the Unborn.
For information about existing pain-capable protections at the state level, view the NRLC Fact Sheet.
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