On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s Fetal Remains law, reversing the judgment of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Louisiana’s 2016 Unborn Child Dignity Act (HB 815), authored by Rep. Julie Stokes and currently being defended in federal litigation by Attorney General Jeff Landry, is similar to the Indiana Fetal Remains law.
“The Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Indiana Fetal Remains law should favorably impact the future of LA 2016 HB 815 in federal court,” said Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life. “With this decision, we look forward to the bodies of Louisiana babies broken by abortion being treated with more dignity instead of being incinerated as medical waste.”
In the same decision, the Supreme Court denied certiorari to the Indiana prenatal nondiscrimination law protecting unborn children from discriminatory abortions, such as when abortions are carried out on the grounds of race, sex, or conditions like Down syndrome.
Louisiana currently does not have a law similar to this provision of Indiana law.