HB 1313: Crimes and offenses; certain legal action protections for healthcare professionals administering medical treatment to pregnant women; provide

Georgia's feticide law (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-80) currently makes it a crime to cause the death of an unborn child through certain acts. This bill adds language saying no state or local law enforcement agency may arrest someone for performing or aiding an abortion, or giving treatment that might lead to one, as long as it follows the rules in Georgia's abortion law (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-141). It also adds a new provision saying people cannot be investigated or penalized, criminally or civilly, over pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or a fetal death that happened in the womb. The bill also updates the affirmative defense available to licensed physicians in the abortion law, clarifying that doctors are protected when treating a pregnant woman results in accidental injury or death to an unborn child, or when they perform or assist an abortion to save the woman's life or avoid serious, irreversible harm to her. Finally, it narrows what counts as 'unprofessional conduct' for medical licensing purposes (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-8), so only abortions that actually violate the affirmative-defense rules in § 16-12-141 count against a medical license.

• Adds language to Georgia's feticide law barring police from arresting anyone for performing or aiding an abortion, or treatment that may lead to one, if it follows the rules in O.C.G.A. § 16-12-141.
• Creates a new legal shield (subsection (c.1)) protecting individuals from investigation or criminal or civil penalty over pregnancy outcomes including miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or in-utero fetal death.
• Expands the affirmative defense in Georgia's abortion law so physicians are protected for performing or aiding an abortion to save the pregnant woman's life or avoid serious, irreversible harm to her.
• Narrows the definition of 'unprofessional conduct' for medical licensing so only abortions that actually violate the affirmative-defense standard in § 16-12-141 can trigger discipline against a doctor's license.

Pregnant women, doctors and other healthcare professionals who provide pregnancy-related or abortion care, state and local law enforcement agencies, and the state medical licensing board (which oversees physician discipline under O.C.G.A. § 43-34-8) are all directly affected by this bill's changes.

If enacted, doctors treating pregnant patients and people involved in abortion care that complies with existing law would face reduced risk of arrest, prosecution, or losing their medical license. People who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, or other pregnancy loss would also gain explicit legal protection from being investigated or penalized over the outcome.

• Section 1 amends the feticide statute (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-80) to bar arrests for abortions or related treatment performed in accordance with § 16-12-141.
• Section 1 also adds subsection (c.1), shielding individuals from investigation or civil or criminal penalty over pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or perinatal death occurring in utero.
• Section 2 revises the affirmative defense in § 16-12-141(h)(1) to cover physicians who perform or aid an abortion to avert the pregnant woman's death or avoid serious, irreversible harm to her.
• Section 3 amends the medical licensing statute (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-8) so that only abortions violating the § 16-12-141(h)(1) standard count as unprofessional conduct.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-18House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-17House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-12House Hopper (House)

• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)Primary sponsor
• Tanya Miller (D, HD-062)
• Shea Roberts (D, HD-052)
• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
• Park Cannon (D, HD-058)
• Michelle Au (D, HD-050)

• abortion law
• reproductive health
• medical licensing
• law enforcement
• feticide law