The Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law heard SB 203 authored by Sen. Freeman on crimes resulting in the loss of a fetus. This bill eliminates the requirement that a fetus reaches viability to charge murder for an unborn child. The bill provides for the offense of murder for a person who knowingly or intentionally kills a fetus at any stage of development.
The bill was amended to clarify that it does not apply to lawful abortions. Representatives from Indiana Catholic Conference, Attorney General’s Office, Indiana Family Institute, and a citizen whose daughter was killed while pregnant, testified in support of the bill. The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council supports the bill as amended, eliminating the repeal of the enhancement, and urged the committee to expand the enhancement to apply to all violent crime that results in the loss of a fetus. The amended bill passed 8-1.
Read the bill at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/senate/203