House committee hears hours of testimony on personhood bill that would define human life from fertilization

Representative Laurie Van Winkle, sponsor: “HB 13 73 seeks to make it clear in our law that preborn children are human and shall be provided all the same protections, provisions, and rights as all other born people.”

The House Human Services Committee on Wednesday heard more than an hour of testimony for and against House Bill 1373, a measure that would add definitions of “human being” and “unborn child” to North Dakota’s criminal homicide and assault statutes and to the wrongful-death civil statute. Supporters framed the proposal as granting equal legal protection to preborn children from the moment of fertilization; opponents warned the language is legally vague and would jeopardize medical care, in vitro fertilization and emergency treatment.

Nut graf: Proponents said HB 1373 would close a perceived legal loophole that allows abortion by defining a preborn child as a human being for the purposes of homicide, assault and wrongful-death law. Opponents — including physicians, patient advocates and the North Dakota Catholic Conference — said the bill’s wording is unclear about exceptions, could criminalize patients and providers, and would almost certainly prompt costly litigation.

Representative Laurie Van Winkle (sponsor) opened testimony by describing the bill’s intent and structure, saying it would add definitions into North Dakota Century Code chapters that address homicide (12.1‑16), assault (12.1‑17) and wrongful death (32‑21), and would include…