Missouri governor signs bill protecting babies born alive after attempted abortions
The pro-life legislation, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, establishes that any child born alive during or after an abortion possesses the same rights, privileges, and legal protections as any other newborn in Missouri.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, signed legislation July 13 requiring healthcare professionals to provide the same level of life-saving care to infants born alive after an abortion or attempted abortion as they would to any other newborn of the same gestational age.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act establishes that any child born alive during or after an abortion possesses the same rights, privileges, and legal protections as any other newborn in Missouri. The provisions were included in SB 999, a broader measure addressing protections for children and other vulnerable people.
The measure also requires providers to arrange for the child to be transported and admitted to a hospital after initial care when necessary.
A person who knowingly performs or attempts an overt act that kills a child born alive may be charged with first-degree murder. The law also allows civil lawsuits to be brought for wrongful death or improper medical care. Health care providers and employees who know of a violation must report it to law enforcement. Failure to do so may result in up to five years in prison and a fine of $2,500 to $10,000.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America thanked the governor in an X post, saying the law ensures “infants who survive an abortion receive the medical care and legal protections they deserve.”
“This is a basic human right,” the group wrote. “Babies born alive after an abortion attempt deserve the same medical care as every other newborn.”
Missouri Right to Life also applauded the signing in a July 13 X post, extending its “deepest gratitude” to Kehoe and the lawmakers who supported the legislation.
The Missouri House approved the bill 102-46 May 13 after the Senate passed it 18-14 May 6, as Zeale News previously reported.
The signing comes as Missouri voters prepare to consider another major pro-life proposal in the Nov. 3 election. Amendment 3 would repeal the state’s 2024 amendment that enshrined a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” in the Missouri Constitution and ban most abortions, with limited exceptions in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape, or incest.
