HB1313: HB1313 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 injury to the mother. This bill adds language saying no state or local law enforcement agency can arrest someone for performing or aiding an abortion, or giving treatment that might lead to one, as long as it follows the exceptions already listed in Georgia's abortion law (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-141). It also adds a new subsection saying people cannot be investigated or penalized based on their actions or omissions connected to a pregnancy outcome, including miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or a death before birth. The bill also tweaks the wording of the medical exception in the abortion law itself, covering physicians who cause accidental injury or death to an unborn child while treating a pregnant woman, or who act to avert the woman's death or serious health risk. Finally, it revises the medical licensing board's disciplinary rule (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-8) so that only abortions violating that specific medical exception count as unprofessional conduct.

• Adds language to Georgia's feticide law (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-80) barring police from arresting anyone for performing or aiding an abortion done under the legal exceptions in the abortion statute.
• Creates a new subsection (c.1) in the feticide law protecting people from investigation or civil or criminal penalty over pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or perinatal death.
• Revises the medical exception in Georgia's abortion law (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-141) covering physicians whose treatment accidentally injures or kills an unborn child or who act to avert the mother's death or serious health risk.
• Narrows the medical licensing board's disciplinary rule (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-8) so doctors can only be disciplined for abortions that violate the specific exception in Code Section 16-12-141(h)(1).
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.

The bill affects pregnant women, physicians and other healthcare professionals who provide pregnancy-related care or abortions, law enforcement agencies that investigate feticide and abortion cases, and the state medical licensing board that disciplines doctors.

If enacted, doctors and other people involved in abortion care or pregnancy loss could not be arrested or investigated as long as care follows the exceptions already written into Georgia's abortion law. This could change how prosecutors and police handle cases involving miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion-related treatment.

• Section 1 revises subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-80 to prevent arrest for abortion or abortion-related treatment performed under the exceptions in O.C.G.A. § 16-12-141.
• Section 1 adds subsection (c.1) protecting individuals from investigation or civil/criminal penalty over pregnancy outcomes including miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or perinatal death.
• Section 2 revises paragraph (1) of subsection (h) of O.C.G.A. § 16-12-141, covering physicians whose treatment accidentally injures or kills an unborn child or who act to avert serious health risk or death of the mother.
• Section 3 revises paragraph (8) of subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 43-34-8, tying medical licensing discipline for abortion-related conduct specifically to violations of the exception in Code Section 16-12-141(h)(1).
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting state 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
• feticide statute
• healthcare providers
• medical licensing
• pregnancy outcomes