1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose House Bill 570 and Senate Bill 738, which would allow prosecutors to charge women who have abortions with fetal homicide. This legislation carries sentences including life imprisonment, life without parole, or the death penalty. This extreme measure threatens the health, safety, and fundamental rights of Tennessee women and families. The bill would classify harm to an unborn child as equal to assault on a person born alive, creating a dangerous legal framework that could criminalize not only abortion but also miscarriages. Women experiencing pregnancy loss already face devastating emotional trauma without the added fear of criminal investigation and prosecution. Medical professionals have warned that such laws create confusion about when doctors can intervene to save a mother's life, delaying critical care and putting women at risk. Tennessee already has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June 2022. Current law bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected at approximately six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Doctors performing abortions already face class C felony charges with up to 15 years in prison. This new legislation goes far beyond existing restrictions by targeting women themselves with the most severe penalties our justice system can impose. If lawmakers are genuinely concerned about protecting life and reducing abortion, they should focus on policies that actually support families: expanding access to contraception, comprehensive sex education, affordable healthcare, and economic support for parents. Criminalizing women facing impossible circumstances does nothing to address the complex reasons people seek abortion care. I ask you to vote against House Bill 570 and Senate Bill 738 before they advance from the House Population Health Subcommittee. These bills would harm Tennessee women and families while doing nothing to support the health and wellbeing of our communities.