New bill in the Missouri House would force women to bury or cremate aborted fetuses
The Missouri GOP, led by Rep. Hannah Kelly (R-District 141), introduced HB 431, or the “Safeguarding All Children’s Remains to Ensure Dignity Act.” The Act would, among other things, force a person having an abortion to either hold a funeral for or cremate the aborted fetus.
The bill is the same as HB 2402, also sponsored by Kelly, that was proposed in 2020 but is not currently scheduled to be heard in the House.
Kelly—who describes herself as “one hundred percent pro-life”—sponsored the bill to enact even stricter regulations on Missouri women. Missouri currently requires a 72-hour waiting period for women to get an abortion.
HB 431 would also require that the woman seeking an abortion be given materials about the possibility of the fetus experiencing pain during the procedure. The ability of a fetus to feel pain at or before 22 weeks (the legal deadline for a woman to receive an abortion in Missouri) is unproven. Even without research to back the claims, the bill states that the professional performing the abortion must inform the woman that fetuses can feel pain at 16 weeks gestation.
Read more: https://www.thepitchkc.com/new-bill-in-the-missouri-house-would-force-women-to-bury-or-cremate-aborted-fetuses/