JEFFERSON CITY – On Monday, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed SB 999, the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act, into law. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair, and carried in the House by Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, requires that children born alive after an attempted abortion be provided with the same healthcare and treatment that any child born at the same gestational age would receive. The bill, which passed along partisan lines earlier in the session, was a priority of both chambers and the governor’s office this session.
“I’m thankful to my colleagues in the Senate and the House for their support for this important piece of legislation, and the governor for his signature,” said Hudson. “It’s unconscionable that anyone would think that a baby born alive should be allowed to die without receiving care. This is a common sense piece of legislation that supports life and provides clarity in Missouri law for the type of care that must be provided to children who survive abortive attempts. I was honored to carry the legislation and I’m extremely pleased to see it become law.”
Current Missouri law contains statutes punishing infanticide, but leaves a carve out for abortion providers who allow a child to die after an abortion procedure has begun, regardless of whether the death happens before or after birth. Specifically, RSMo 565.300 (the infanticide statute) section 6 states: This section shall not apply to any person who performs or attempts to perform a legal abortion if the act that causes the death is performed prior to the child being partially born, even though the death of the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially born. SB 999 provides clarity for the type of care that must be provided in the instance of a botched abortion, and provides penalties for those who do not provide the required care.
“What we had in Missouri law was a carve out that said children who survive an abortion could be allowed to die on the table without life saving care,” said Seitz. “That is no longer an abortion argument. It’s no longer about the unborn, but the born. Although I believe strongly that the unborn are human beings, and deserve the right to life, there can be no doubt that the born child should be protected and receive life saving and sustaining care. Those who voted no on this bill, voted to continue the practice of allowing children to die without medical care. Plain and simple.”
