Panel rejects bill to restore abortion rights and remove criminal penalties

The Population Health Subcommittee considered House Bill 12 17 on March 18, 2025 and rejected the measure 2–7. The bill, presented by Representative Kristen Johnson, sought to "restore abortion rights to all Tennesseans," repeal the state's ban and eliminate criminal penalties for those who perform or receive abortions.

Johnson urged the committee to "return the law of Tennessee back to the Roe standard" and said the bill would restore "freedom, health, and autonomy to women across the state." She also cited a 2022 Vanderbilt University poll and large public protests following Tennessee's "trigger ban," arguing the current restrictions are unpopular and deny women control over reproductive health decisions.

Chairman Clemens supported the proposal in remarks to the committee, framing the question as one of constitutional privacy and freedom. Clemens said the loss of the Roe standard has affected availability of obstetric care in Tennessee: "We have seen OBGYNs flee the state," he said, and he described a growing shortage of OB‑GYN providers and maternal‑health access problems in rural areas. Representative Johnson testified that more than half of Tennessee counties lack an OB‑GYN, and she linked that shortage in part to legal risk providers perceive following Dobbs.

The bill drew questioning but no amendments; the clerk recorded the final committee vote as 2 ayes and 7 nos and the bill failed in the Population Health Subcommittee.