Legislation headed to the governor would allow prosecutors to seek a murder charge against someone who attacks a woman and causes the death of her fetus.
Current law allows such charges if the fetus is viable. The legislation eliminates the need for viability.
READ MORE: Senate Committee Approves Bill To Expand Feticide Law
And that change in law has some anti-abortion groups cheering. They argue the measure gives legal standing to unborn fetuses that hasn’t existed before, which could be used to better defend anti-abortion laws.
Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) notes his bill is explicit about what it does and doesn’t do.
“This bill has nothing to do with two things. One is a woman’s legal right to an abortion," Freeman says. "And two, it does not have anything to do with a woman who would terminate her own pregnancy.”
The Senate gave final approval to the bill 41-8.