HB1335 amends Section 1.36 of the Illinois Statute on Statutes, which defines “born alive infant” for purposes of interpreting state statutes, regulations, and administrative rules. The bill states that a live child born as a result of an abortion must be fully recognized as a human person and receive immediate protection under the law. It retains the existing definition of “born alive” as a complete expulsion or extraction from the mother followed by breathing, a heartbeat, umbilical cord pulsation, or voluntary movement, regardless of whether the birth followed natural labor, cesarean section, or induced abortion.
The bill also removes several interpretive clauses by replacing them with blank provisions. Those removed clauses had stated that the section should not be construed to affirm or deny legal status before birth, should not affect existing federal or state abortion law, and should not alter generally accepted medical standards. The measure is effective immediately if enacted.
Impact
If enacted, HB1335 would amend the Statute on Statutes, changing how Illinois law defines and treats a child born alive after an abortion for purposes of statutory interpretation and administrative rules. The bill would expressly require immediate legal recognition and protection of such a child as a human person, while deleting language that currently limits the section’s construction and clarifies that it does not alter abortion law or medical standards. The practical effect would be to strengthen born-alive protections in Illinois law and potentially influence how agencies and courts interpret related provisions, though the bill text does not itself create a broader abortion ban or expressly change pre-birth rights.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text alone and the absence of committee transcripts or recorded votes, the measure appears to reflect a strongly pro-life policy position focused on born-alive protections. The synopsis and operative language suggest the sponsor intends to ensure legal recognition and protection for infants who survive an abortion. Because there is no recorded committee discussion or voting history in the provided materials, there is no documented bipartisan or opposing sentiment to assess from the legislative record here.
Contention
The likely point of contention is the bill’s relationship to abortion law. Supporters would view it as a born-alive infant protection measure, while opponents may see it as politically and legally connected to abortion regulation despite the bill’s removal of language stating it does not affect abortion law. Another possible area of dispute is the deletion of interpretive disclaimers, which could be viewed as broadening the statute’s reach or creating ambiguity about its interaction with existing abortion and medical standards. No specific legislators, committees, or stakeholder groups are identified in the provided record.