Gov. of Puerto Rico signs bill declaring preborn babies 'natural persons'

Puerto Rican Governor Jenniffer González signed Senate Bill 504 into law this week, recognizing preborn children as "natural persons."

Key Takeaways:

• Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González signed SB 504 into law, recognizing preborn babies as persons.

• The bill does not change current abortion laws or provide further protections for preborn children.

• Abortion supporters claim the law will "reverse women's rights."

The Details:

The bill amends Puerto Rico's Civil Code to recognize preborn babies as natural persons from the moment of fertilization at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb. It was authored by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz of the New Progressive Party (NPP) and co-sponsored by Sens. Joanne Rodríguez Veve (Independent), Brenda Pérez (NPP-Arecibo), and Wilmer Reyes (NPP-Guayama). According to the República, the law does not rewrite criminal status or enact new protections for preborn children. Pro-abortion claims that the bill will "reverse women's rights" are baseless.

"Rather than radical, the law reflects a growing acknowledgment that legal systems cannot indefinitely avoid the scientific reality that human life begins at conception," wrote Vianca Rodriguez. "By naming that reality directly, Puerto Rico chose honesty over ambiguity and placed the value of unborn life firmly within its legal framework, reinforcing long-standing principles of human dignity and the protection of life recognized in both Puerto Rico’s and the United States’ constitutional traditions."

The Bottom Line:

Abortion is legal in Puerto Rico to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health, with health including mental and socio-emotional health. The inclusion of mental and emotional health leaves the door open for abortion to be carried out for virtually any reason.

Preborn children are human beings from the moment of fertilization. They don't suddenly become human persons at some random point during development or at birth, and they deserve to be protected from harm from the moment they come into existence.