This year, pro-life house and senate members of the Oregon Legislature have introduced two crucial bills to protect unborn children. The Senate bill would require doctors to provide life-saving care to infants born alive after an attempted abortion.
SB 1553—the Born Alive Infant Protection Act—requires medical practitioners to provide life-saving care to infants born alive after an attempted abortion. Additionally, it requires abortion providers to ensure the transportation of the infant to a hospital. This act would also allow for civil penalties to abortion providers who fail to provide that care, though it gives some exceptions.
Under current law, abortion practitioners may allow an infant who survives an attempted abortion to die without receiving medical care. In contrast, babies born in different circumstances often receive medical care that saves their lives.
The CDC reported many infants dying after being born alive despite an attempted abortion. In addition, a recent poll showed that most Oregonians think that infants born alive after an attempted abortion should receive life-saving medical care.
The Born Alive Infant Protection act addresses an issue of equality. While some babies receive necessary, life-saving medical care, others are intentionally allowed to die. The only difference is an attempted abortion. An attempted abortion doesn’t make an infant less valuable or worthy of receiving life-saving care. Contact your legislators and tell them to support SB 1553 to protect all infants born alive.