“This change definitely closes the door on potential unintended consequences of permitting infant deaths…”
California Catholic Conference (CCC) Executive Director Kathleen Domingo released the following statement regarding amendments to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ Assembly Bill (AB) 2223:
“Today, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ AB 2223, which came to be known as the ‘infanticide bill,’ was amended in the Assembly Appropriations Committee to confirm that a woman will not be investigated or charged for experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or ‘perinatal death due to causes that occurred in utero.’
“This change definitely closes the door on potential unintended consequences of permitting infant deaths due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment, alleviating the concerns that the CCC brought to the author’s attention.
“The State of California Health and Safety Code already states that a baby born alive after a failed abortion needs to be provided the same care of another infant of a similar age, and the Code also maintains protections against fetal homicide.
“The California Catholic Conference is grateful to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and to Assemblymember Wicks and her staff for working with us to clarify and narrow the bill language. The CCC will be removing its opposition to AB 2223 and will remain neutral on the bill.”