The Puerto Rican governor has signed a bill amending the territory’s Penal Code to recognize the unborn at any stage, including conception, as a human being.
Governor Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 923 on February 12. “The legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the conceived, unborn child as a human being,” she said in a statement. The amendment aligns with a law making it first-degree murder if a suspect kills a pregnant woman, leading to the death of an unborn child.
González-Colón signed a similar bill last year to expand legal recognition of the unborn. The legislation, Senate Bill 504, which amends the Civil Code to recognize the unborn as a “natural person for all purposes that are favorable both during the gestation period and after birth,” was signed last year.
National Right to Life President Carol Tobias celebrated the legislation, saying in December that Puerto Rico’s “clear and courageous recognition of preborn babies as persons reflects a deep respect for life and provides a powerful example for lawmakers throughout the United States. Legal personhood for the preborn is not only consistent with science and human dignity but is the foundation upon which a culture of life can flourish.”
“Puerto Rico’s action stands as a compelling reaffirmation that the protection of human life at all stages is a fundamental civil right,” Tobias added. “This measure underscores the essential truth that every human being—born and unborn—deserves equal protection under the law.”
