| Human Life Protection Act | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alabama State Legislature | |
| |
| Territorial extent | Alabama |
| Signed by | Governor Kay Ivey |
| Signed | May 15, 2019 |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Terri Collins |
| First reading | April 30, 2019 (House of Representatives) |
| Second reading | May 14, 2019 (Senate) |
| Status: Current legislation | |
The Human Life Protection Act, also known as House Bill 314 (HB 314)[1] and the Alabama abortion ban,[2] is an Alabama statute enacted on May 15, 2019, that imposes a near-total ban on abortion in the state. Originally set to go into effect in November 2019, a legal challenge against the bill delayed implementation until 2022. The bill was passed in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature in a party-line vote and signed by Republican governor Kay Ivey. Under the Human Life Protection Act, a doctor who performs a banned abortion in the state of Alabama is guilty of a Class A felony, and could be sentenced to life imprisonment. Several proposed amendments that would have allowed abortions in cases of rape and incest were rejected.
From its introduction to its signing, the Human Life Protection Act has been strongly opposed by Democratic politicians and activists; it has also been criticized by a number of Republican politicians. Legal challenges to the act were quickly brought by abortion rights advocates; a preliminary injunction against the law was issued by U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama judge Myron Herbert Thompson in October 2019. On June 24, 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Judge Thompson lifted the injunction, allowing the law to go into effect.[3]
- ^ "Alabama HB314 | 2019 | Regular Session". LegiScan. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ Wax-Thibodeaux, Emily; Brownlee, Chip (May 15, 2019). "Governor signs Alabama abortion ban, which has galvanized support on both sides, setting up a lengthy fight". The Washington Post. Montgomery. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ "IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, NORTHERN DIVISION" (PDF).