WASHINGTON — Parents in Puerto Rico who experience the loss of a baby before 20 weeks of gestation will now have the option to claim and arrange for the dignified disposition of their child’s remains under a new law signed by Governor Jenniffer González-Colón.

“National Right to Life applauds Governor Jenniffer González-Colón for signing this compassionate and respectful legislation,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Losing a baby can be a deeply painful experience for parents. This law recognizes that grief and ensures that families who wish to honor their child through a dignified burial or other respectful disposition have the ability to do so.”

Law 42-2026 establishes a clear protocol allowing parents, with medical authorization and upon request, to claim fetal remains resulting from pregnancy loss prior to 20 weeks of gestation. The law recognizes the emotional impact of losing a baby and ensures that parents have the option to provide respectful treatment and disposition for their child.

The measure amends Puerto Rico’s Regulated Biomedical Waste Management Act to clarify that fetal remains from pregnancy losses occurring before 20 weeks—regardless of weight—will not be treated as regulated biomedical waste when a parent formally requests their release under procedures established by the Puerto Rico Department of Health.

Senate Bill 756, which created the new law, was authored by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz and Senator Joanne Rodríguez Veve, with several senators serving as co-sponsors.

“By affirming the dignity of every human life and respecting the needs of grieving parents, Puerto Rico has taken an important step toward compassionate public policy,” Tobias said.

Similar laws exist in other jurisdictions across the United States, allowing parents the choice to claim and arrange dignified disposition of their baby’s remains following pregnancy loss.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — A new Wyoming law protecting an unborn child once her heart begins to beat has been signed by Gov. Mark Gordon, making the state the fifth in the nation to enact such protections.

The measure prohibits most abortions after a heartbeat can be detected, which occurs approximately 18-22 days after fertilization. The law includes an exception when necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother in cases of imminent medical danger. 

“We thank Governor Gordon for signing this vital law,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Wyoming’s action reflects an ongoing national conversation about how our laws should recognize the humanity of the unborn child while ensuring that her mother receives appropriate care.”

According to state health officials, Wyoming recorded 625 abortions in 2024, the most recent year for which complete data are available.

The enactment comes as abortion policy across the United States continues to evolve following the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned primary authority over abortion policy to the states.

Since that decision, states have taken varied approaches to abortion regulation. Some states have enacted laws protecting unborn children at different stages of pregnancy, while others have pushed for an expansion of unlimited abortion and abortion pills by mail.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — The Ohio Senate Health Committee today heard testimony on Senate Bill 309, the Abortion Pill Provider Liability Education (APPLE) Act, legislation designed to ensure women receive truthful information and clear notice of their legal rights before being prescribed abortion-inducing drugs.

SB 309 is Ohio’s version of National Right to Life’s model law, the Abortion Pill Provider Liability and Education Act, and focuses on informed consent, transparency, and accountability in the growing chemical abortion marketplace.

In written testimony submitted to the committee, Ingrid Duran, director of the Department of State Legislation for National Right to Life (NRLC), explained that the APPLE Act responds to the “rapid rise of mail-order and telemedicine abortion pills” that increasingly bypass traditional medical safeguards.

She noted that the bill simply requires abortion providers to inform women that, should they suffer injury or death, they or their families may hold the manufacturer, distributor, health care provider, or facility accountable.

“The APPLE Act places no burdens on women seeking abortion,” Duran wrote. “It doesn’t ban abortion-inducing drugs or make them harder to obtain. Instead, it empowers women with truthful information and ensures they know their rights if something goes wrong.”

Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education and Research for the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund, also submitted written testimony detailing documented complications associated with mifepristone, the abortion pill.

Citing FDA reports and independent studies, Dr. O’Bannon testified that complications can occur in more than 10% of women who take the drugs, noting that women have experienced hemorrhage, infection, ruptured ectopic pregnancies, emergency room visits, and other serious complications.

“The APPLE Act doesn’t stop anyone from getting an abortion,” Dr. O’Bannon wrote. “But it does require that abortionists give them a complete and honest representation of the risks.” 

Dr. O’Bannon also noted that the bill, “simply asks whether you care more about the lives and health and safety of women and their unborn children or are more concerned with seeking the favor and fortune of the abortion industry.” 

In-person testimony underscored the real-life impact of chemical abortion complications.

Katie DeLand of Ohio Right to Life testified that deregulation of chemical abortion has coincided with increased use and documented adverse events, including severe bleeding, infection, undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies, and incomplete abortions requiring emergency care.

She emphasized that “women deserve full transparency about medical risks, particularly when those risks can be severe, permanent, or life-threatening.” 

Savannah Martin, testifying on behalf of Bella Vita Network and the Ohio Coalition of Pregnancy Centers, shared the story of a woman identified as “Rebecca,” who suffered life-threatening complications after being prescribed abortion pills beyond the legal gestational limit.

According to the testimony, Rebecca lost consciousness, required CPR, and was transported to a hospital where she underwent an emergency dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure.

Martin urged lawmakers to ensure women understand potential risks and know how to hold providers accountable if harm occurs.

Supporters of SB 309 argue that, regardless of one’s position on abortion, informed consent and consumer protection are principles that should apply to abortion-inducing drugs just as they do to any other medical product.

The Senate Health Committee took testimony but has not yet voted on the measure.

For copies of testimony or more information about National Right to Life’s model law, the Abortion Pill Provider Liability and Education Act, visit NRLC.org or contact the NRLC Communications Department at mediarelations@nrlc.org.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.