(March 8, 2023) – Today, the House Health and Human Services Committee, chaired by Representative Brenda Landwehr (R-Wichita), held a hearing on House Bill 2313. House Bill 2313 creates the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act providing legal protections for infants who are born alive regardless of the intent of delivery. The bill contains requirements for health care providers and employees of medical facilities in situations when an abortion or attempted abortion resulted in a child being born alive. The bill defines criminal and civil actions allowed for violations of the Act. Medical care facilities in which an infant is born alive would be required to submit an annual report to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Proponents testifying included:
- Rep. Ron Bryce (R-Coffeyville)
- Jeanne Gawden, Kansans for Life
- Kelly Bird, DO, pediatrician, Johnson County
- Sara Svorsky, abortion survivor
The committee also worked House Bill 2429, establishing alternatives to abortion programs to provide resources and promote childbirth to women facing unplanned pregnancies. The bills were recommended favorably for passage.