AR HB2159

Establishes the Pregnant Woman's Protection Act to protect pregnant women's affirmative right to carry children to term and allow use of physical force to defend unborn children

Creates new Arkansas Code section 5-2-615 allowing pregnant women to use physical or deadly physical force against another person to protect an unborn child under the same circumstances they could use force to protect themselves

Defines "pregnant" as having an unborn child in the female's body, "unborn child" as offspring from conception until birth, and "embryo" as human organism from single cell stage to 8 weeks development

Limits the justification for using force to protection by the pregnant woman herself and excludes protection of embryos existing outside the pregnant woman's body, including frozen embryos at fertility clinics

Establishes legislative findings documenting that pregnant women experience higher rates of violence and homicide than other periods in women's lives, with intimate partners often as perpetrators