Testimony submitted to House Judiciary Committee by Shannon McGinley, Executive Director, Cornerstone Action
Cornerstone Action supports HB 1675-FN, which would protect infants who survive attempted abortion. We fear an important point was lost at the House committee hearing on the bill: the legislation is about a situation arising after abortion, after a pregnancy has been terminated, after a woman has exercised a reproductive medical decision. Roe v. Wade addresses abortion rather than infanticide, and therefore has no bearing on HB 1675-FN. None of the medical professionals who testified at the hearing acknowledged that fact.
The federal born-alive law from 2002 does not address how born-alive children who are abortion survivors are to be treated under state law. New Hampshire’s own born-alive law, passed more than a decade ago, contained no penalties for failure to exercise appropriate care for a born-alive child. HB 1675-FN remedies both of those statutory gaps.
We commend to you the statement of finding in HB 1675-FN: “The general court hereby finds that it is the purpose of the state of New Hampshire to assert a compelling state interest in in protecting the life of any infant born alive as a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the state of New Hampshire, and entitled to all the protections of such laws, including the right to medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment.”
Please vote Ought to Pass on HB 1675-FN. Thank you.
