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House committee rejects bill to add narrow exceptions to Arkansas abortion ban
Summary
The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee heard hours of testimony for and against HB 1880, which would have created narrow exceptions to Arkansas's abortion ban. After testimony from Department of Health staff and multiple advocacy groups, the committee voted against a motion to pass the bill.
Representative Stephanie Hudson presented House Bill 1880, asking the committee to adopt narrowly drawn exceptions to Arkansas's current abortion ban.
The bill drew opposition from the Arkansas Department of Health and from multiple anti-abortion witnesses. Matt Gilmore, representing the Department of Health, told the committee the executive branch “stands behind the current laws” and raised concerns about creating new exceptions in statute. Rose Mims, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, testified the organization opposed HB 1880 and said the state’s public policy “is to protect the life of every unborn child from conception until birth” as expressed in Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution. Tony Rose, representing the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, said he opposed the bill and urged the committee to expand counseling and referrals instead of changing legal exceptions.
Sponsor Representative Stephanie Hudson said she brought the bill because women in Arkansas “don't have those choices” and described cases she said demonstrated harms from the state's restrictive approach. Hudson closed by citing public polling she said showed majority support for limited exceptions in cases of nonviable pregnancy or where a mother’s life is endangered.
During committee discussion Representative John Rose and Representative Bentley said they opposed the bill, raising concerns that language such as “fetal abnormality incompatible with life” was too broad or undefined and could undermine the state’s abortion ban. Representative Rose called several sections “very broad, subjective without definition” and noted no gestational timeline or medical criteria in the draft.
After debate the committee considered a motion “do pass.” The motion did not carry; the committee voted the bill down.
The transcript records testimony and questions during the bill presentation and the final vote of the committee. No further action on HB 1880 was recorded during this meeting.
