Committee narrows coercion language in HB 425; bill reported favorably as amended

House Bill 425, carried by Representative Carlson, seeks to expand Louisiana’s criminal prohibition on coerced abortion to reach nonphysical methods of compulsion — for example, extortion, threats or other conduct that causes a pregnant person to feel compelled to terminate a pregnancy. On May 8 the committee adopted amendments that narrowed the bill so coercive conduct aligns with existing criminal statutes and then voted to report HB 425 favorably as amended.

The original statute required that coerced-abortion prosecutions include an element of physical force or the threat of physical force. Representative Carlson said the bill seeks to recognize that coercion can be nonphysical: "My bill... strengthens and expands that definition of coercion to include nonphysical methods like manipulation, blackmail, financial pressure, emotional abuse," she told the committee.

Staff explained the amendment package removed proposed mandatory-reporting provisions and instead limited the definition of coercion to conduct already criminalized elsewhere. The adopted amendment specified that, for purposes of the coerced-abortion provision, "physical force, control or intimidation" will include battery, assault, simple kidnapping, false imprisonment and extortion as defined in statute; amendment language also added a clause to make a threat intended to compel a pregnant woman to have an abortion an act that can constitute extortion.

Witnesses were divided. Supporters included anti‑abortion and pregnancy‑support organizations who said coercion now commonly occurs without physical violence and that the statute should protect women who are threatened or pressured by partners or family members. Representative Carlson cited two recent incidents in which nonphysical coercion was alleged. Opponents — including reproductive‑rights advocates and some commenters who said the change would criminalize family decision‑making — urged caution and asked for clearer language.

Several committee members questioned the breadth of the original bill; after the amendment narrowed the scope and tied coercive acts to existing criminal definitions, some members said their concerns were alleviated. Representative Horton moved to report HB 425 favorably as amended; the committee recorded a roll call of 10 yeses and 1 no, and the bill was reported out as amended.

The committee’s action narrows but preserves the bill’s goal of criminalizing nonphysical coercion to cause an abortion while anchoring the conduct to statutes already in place (battery, assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, extortion). The committee made no immediate change to reporting or enforcement mechanisms beyond the amended statutory language.