HB 1890 | Disposition of fetal remains

Session: 2019-2020

ACLU-PA Position: Opposes

House Bill 1890 categorizes a miscarriage as a death, regardless of the length of the pregnancy, and, therefore, requires the health facility to file a death certificate, obtain a burial permit, and to provide ritual burial or cremation. It mandates that hospitals or clinics must arrange for ritual disposal (via burial or cremation) of all medical tissue from a miscarriage or abortion, no matter how early in the pregnancy and requires a death certificate be issued for all medical tissue. A healthcare facility that violates this act will be fined between $50 and $300 or a person charged with fulfilling these duties may be imprisoned in county jail for up to thirty days.