Bill would increase penalties for nonconsensual ‘death of an unborn person’

Republican lawmakers advanced a bill Tuesday increasing penalties for causing the termination of a pregnancy without consent — while adding language that some advocates said was “anti-abortion.”

House Study Bill 621 would make the termination of a pregnancy without the consent of the pregnant person a Class A felony if caused in the act of a forcible felony, such as murder, assault or sexual abuse. Currently, the crime is a Class B felony. It would also amend current language on these crimes from the termination of a “human pregnancy” to the “death of an unborn person.”

Mazie Stilwell with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa spoke in opposition to the bill, saying the measure is a tactic to codify the term “unborn person” in reference to a fetus into Iowa law. The bill does not address any pressing concerns, Stilwell said, but will further stigmatize abortion patients and “undermine the rights of pregnant Iowans.”

“This bill opens an unneeded door for further legislative attacks on pregnant Iowans, including additional criminalization and surveillance,” she said. “There’s certainly no justification for why this bill is necessary.”

Other lobbyists with groups like the Family Planning Council of Iowa and the Interfaith Alliance spoke against moving forward the bill, saying the use of “unborn person” could lead to potential restrictions on access to contraception and curb pregnant women’s ability to access care.

Some supporters of the bill, including Tom Chapman with the Iowa Catholic Conference, disputed claims that the legislation was related to abortion. But Danny Carroll with the Family Leader, a conservative Christian organization, praised the bill for including language often used by anti-abortion advocates.

“The bill acknowledges, quite clearly, what we all know: life begins at the moment of conception,” Carroll said.

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, criticized the legislation for putting “a lot of medical care at risk” while not addressing any new concerns, as felony penalties already exist for nonconsensual termination of a pregnancy.

Republican Reps. Skyler Wheeler and Charley Thomson moved to advance the legislation to the full House Judiciary Committee.