By Ingrid Duran, Director, Department of State Legislation
Following the June 2022 Dobbs decision which allowed states to protect unborn children, there are several states that protect the unborn child throughout gestation or at another biological marker such as when the heartbeat is present, or the child has the capacity to feel pain.
Currently, 19 states protect unborn children at or before 12 weeks gestation. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana. Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri. Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
