Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov & Jason Carter / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
As the Tennessee General Assembly prepares for its 114th legislative session, a new bill has been filed by Democrats to completely undo Tennessee’s ban on abortion by amending a whole slew of current state laws.
House Bill 1626 (HB1626) is being sponsored by Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville-District 51), a hardcore leftist activist who replaced the late Rep. Bill Beck in the House of Representatives earlier this year.
The corresponding Senate bill, SB1590, is being sponsored by Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis-District 33).
According to the bill summary, HB1626/SB1590 as introduced, “enacts the ‘Fundamental Right to Reproductive Health Care Act.’”
This act does the following amongst many other things:
• Defines abortion care as “reproductive healthcare.”
• Defines women as “pregnant persons.”
• Declares a fundamental right to abortion.
The bill text states that “A pregnant person has a fundamental right to continue a pregnancy and give birth, or to have an abortion and to make decisions about how to exercise such right.”
• Prohibits state interference with this “fundamental right.”
According to the text, the state and its departments, agencies, entities, or political subdivisions cannot “deny, restrict, interfere with, or discriminate against a person’s fundamental” right to an abortion or “criminalize an action taken by a person in the exercise of the person’s fundamental” right to an abortion.
• Declares that babies still inside their mother’s womb do not have rights in Tennessee.
“A fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of this state,” reads the bill text.
• Amends Tennessee law and removes the requirement for hospitals to keep records of abortions.
• Deletes Tennessee law dictating that the General Assembly will erect a monument to unborn children on the capitol campus.
• Deletes Tennessee law requiring parental consent for minors to get abortions.
• Deletes Tennessee law defining a fetus as a victim if injured or killed by way of criminal assault or criminal homicide.
• Deletes Tennessee law displaying legislative findings that declare a fetus to be a human life.
• Deletes Tennessee law prohibiting nurse practitioners from prescribing drugs with the sole purpose of causing an abortion.
• Amends Tennessee law to allow state healthcare plans to cover abortions.
This legislation is only four pages long but includes the amending or deleting of 19 different sections of state law regarding abortion.
Tennessee maintains a Republican majority in the state legislature, so the likelihood of this bill gaining enough traction to get passed is very low.
The General Assembly is currently scheduled to begin its 2024 legislative session on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
