Background: House Bill 1373 would define a human being to include an unborn child in state laws relating to murder, assault, and wrongful death lawsuits. The bill also would establish that an unborn child exists at the moment of fertilization.
Our position: The ACLU of North Dakota opposes House Bill 1373. Granting rights to a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus could result in the criminalization and prosecution of pregnant people not just for abortion, but for any adverse pregnancy outcomes. The assertation that life begins at fertilization is not medically proven and instead is based on personal and religious beliefs.
