Current Bills in the States
In 2015, the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) first exposed Planned Parenthood's role in trafficking aborted baby body parts to buy and sell for research purposes. It is clear that harvesting and selling these body parts subsidizes the abortion industry. Planned Parenthood's business of selling the remains of the unborn illustrates their high disregard for the human dignity of the life that was lost.
Fetal dignity laws seek to stop these barbarous practices, promoting the dignity of the unborn by putting in place protections such as requiring the burial or cremation of aborted babies and prohibiting the sale and/or transfer of fetal remains. Some fetal dignity laws provide for death certificates for miscarried babies or tax benefits for their parents.
Make your voice heard today! To contact your state officials, click on your state, then use the “External link” in the “Take Action” column, below the map.
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Abortion is dehumanizing to both mothers and their unborn children. State fetal dignity laws use a variety of means to promote and protect the dignity of the unborn. The need for such laws is clear: Whether it's abortionists like Dr. Kermit Gosnell in Pennsylvania and Dr. Ulrich Klopfer in Illinois (who were caught hoarding the remains of the unborn they had aborted), or America's foremost purveyor of abortion, Planned Parenthood (who was caught on tape in 2015 selling aborted baby body parts), the abortion industry's horrific practices dehumanize and desensitize all of us.
Fortunately, many states have stepped forward to enact laws which recognize the inherent dignity of the unborn by reaffirming their basic humanity. This map tracks five types of state laws:
- Prohibiting the transfer of fetal tissue harvested from the unborn during an abortion
- Requiring the remains of the unborn after an abortion to be buried or cremated
- Banning the use of fetal tissue for research
- Prohibiting the sale or profit of aborted baby body parts
- Providing death certificates for stillborn and miscarried babies
All five types of laws are important to recognizing and protecting the dignity of unborn children. Click on a state to see whether and how it protects fetal dignity. For more information, read our Issue Analysis “Respecting the Unborn through Fetal Dignity Laws” (frc.org/fetaldignity).
