A proposed Tennessee law targeting women who obtain abortions has been defeated by House subcommittee members, failing to advance after no Republican lawmakers moved to schedule a hearing on March 10. The legislation, known as House Bill 570, sought to criminalize abortion by treating it identically to homicide under state law—a move critics argued would subject women to life imprisonment or capital punishment for medical procedures they sought.
The bill, which assigned itself to the House Population Health Subcommittee, was effectively killed when no member voted to debate it. Supporters of the measure included Republican Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson, who advocated for treating abortion as criminal homicide and extending “equal protection” to fetuses under Tennessee law. Barrett asserted that “the right to life is fundamental and … cannot be infringed,” claiming existing laws already recognized human rights but excluded those “located inside the womb.”
Critics from groups like End Abortion Now and the Foundation to Abolish Abortion condemned the Republican supermajority legislature for claiming pro-life principles while blocking the bill’s advancement. They plan to reintroduce it in 2027.
Breanne Houston, a Knoxville resident who had her procedure over a decade ago, stated during a press conference: “Our laws already recognize that every human being deserves equal protection under the law. Right now the only class of human beings excluded from that protection are those that happen to be located inside the womb.”
Tennessee’s current abortion restrictions, enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ban most procedures except in medical emergencies. Barrett acknowledged the state does not have a complete abortion prohibition, noting laws restrict only medical professionals’ actions—not mail-delivered medications or out-of-state care.
