HF 2256: Relating to the treatment of an unborn child for the purposes of damages for wrongful death, the defense of compulsion, homicide and related crimes, and assault, making penalties applicable, and including effective date and applicability provisions

What it does

This bill relates to the treatment of an unborn child for purposes of damages for wrongful death, certain crimes, and certain defenses. The bill provides the purposes of the bill.336 (damages for wrongful death) to provide that damages for wrongful death of a child shall include the wrongful death of an unborn child, as defined in the bill to mean an individual organism of the species homo sapiens from fertilization to fetal death or live birth.10 (compulsion) to provide that an act, other than an act by which one intentionally or recklessly causes physical injury to another, is not a public offense if the person so acting, including a pregnant woman acting relative to her unborn child under Code chapter 707 (homicide or related crimes) or 708 (assault), is compelled to do so by another’s threat or menace of serious injury, provided that the person reasonably believes that such injury is imminent and can be averted only by the person doing such act.

Lobbying · 4 for, 3 against

For: Iowa Catholic Conference; Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition; Iowa Right to Life Committee; VALOR Iowa

Against: American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition; Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa

In plain words

1. February 1, 2024Filed in the House and sent to the Judiciary committee