Speaker Ralston Announces Passage of Heartbeat Bill (HB 481)

ATLANTA – Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) announces that the House of Representatives passed House Bill 481, commonly referred to as the “Heartbeat Bill,” on Thursday, March 7. The legislation is officially titled the “Living Infants Fairness and Equality” (LIFE) Act.

“I am proud that the House acted in a deliberate way to protect the unborn and passed the nation’s strongest pro-life protections,” said Speaker Ralston. “Working with Governor Kemp and the Senate, we will see to it that Georgia remains a state where each and every human life is treated with the dignity and respect it deserves. In addition to this legislation, we will continue to fight for Georgia’s children by making it easier to adopt, improving our foster care system and ensuring better access to healthcare for infants and their mothers,”

“I appreciate that abortion can be a divisive issue, and I respect that there are people with strong convictions on both sides,” continued Speaker Ralston. “That is why I am proud that the House had a thorough and civil debate which allowed members to give voice to their viewpoints.”

Supported by Governor Brian Kemp and sponsored by Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth), HB 481 prohibits abortion when an unborn child has a detectable human heartbeat. It contains exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, risk to the life of the mother and medically-futile pregnancies. The measure now moves to the State Senate for consideration. If approved by the Senate, it would go to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature. More information about HB 481 may be found here:http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20192020/HB/481.