Human Life Protection Act of 2025

This bill changes North Carolina law so that abortion is only allowed when it would save the pregnant person’s life.

• Abortion: ending a pregnancy on purpose.

If passed, this bill would add a new part to state law that makes abortions illegal and defines related ideas as follows:

• Abortion: using or prescribing any drug, medicine, or other means with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant. This does not include birth control devices or oral contraceptives.

  • Intent: what you’re trying to do

  • Oral Contraceptives: pills that prevent pregnancy.

• It is not considered abortion if the person is trying to:

  • Save the life or support the health of the fetus.

    • Fetus: a baby growing inside the pregnant person’s belly after the first couple of months of pregnancy. 

  • Remove a dead fetus due to spontaneous abortion

    • Spontaneous Abortion: when a fetus stops growing before it can be born, and the pregnancy ends on its own.      

  • Take out an ectopic pregnancy. Because the pregnancy is not safe, doctors have to stop the pregnancy to keep the pregnant person healthy.

    • Ectopic pregnancy: which is when a fetus starts to grow in the wrong place, not where it is supposed to

• Fertilization: This is when a sperm and an egg meet.

• Pregnant: This is when a person is growing a fetus inside their body.

• Reasonable medical judgment:    This means a doctor made a safe choice based on what they know. 

• Unborn child: this is what the law would call a fetus if this bill passes.

This bill states that no one is allowed to give pregnant people abortions.

• If this bill passes, this will be the rule unless:

  • The person doing the abortion is a doctor with a license to practice medicine.

    • License: a special card or piece of paper that says someone is allowed to do something that not everyone else can. To get a license, you usually have to study for a test to show you are able to do that thing.

  • The pregnant person has a life-threatening emergency that the pregnancy makes worse.

  • The abortion is done in a way that gives the fetus the best chance of survival unless it is dangerous for the pregnant person.

If this bill passes:

• Medical treatment that accidentally hurts or kills a fetus does not break the law.

• If an abortion done on purpose kills a fetus, it is a serious crime called a Class B1 felony

• Anyone who does or tries to do an abortion on purpose that is not to save the pregnant person’s life, could have to pay at least $100,000 for each law they break.

• Doctors who give illegal abortions will have their license to practice medicine taken away.

• Even if someone gets a punishment, like a fine or going to court, people can still get help in other ways, like asking for money if they were hurt.

• Certain parts of North Carolina Law are taken away, including:

  • A rule for places that provide abortions have to pay $700 to the state every year.

  • The “Woman’s Right to Know Act” which explains when and how abortions can happen legally in North Carolina.

  • Certain rules and protections, like not allowing people to have abortions because they don’t like a baby’s sex.

  • Rules for places where people can give birth that are not hospitals.

    • This could make it more dangerous to give birth in places other than hospitals.  

If this bill passes, it will NOT: 

• Punish pregnant people for getting abortions.

• Punish pregnant people for having miscarriages or stillbirths.

  • Miscarraige: When a pregnancy ends on its own.

  • Stillbirth: When a pregnant person gives birth to a baby that has died.

• Punish healthcare professionals for doing things that are legal, but cause a fetus to die.

If lawmakers find that any parts of this bill are bad or unnecessary, that doesn’t change other parts that can still be put in place.

If this bill passes, these changes will start on July 1, 2025.