HR 1014 Summary

• Authorizes introduction of the Arkansas Human Heartbeat and Human Life Civil Justice Act, which prohibits abortion except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency.

• Establishes private civil liability allowing any person (except government entities) to sue those who perform, induce, or aid/abet abortions in violation of the law, with statutory damages of at least $10,000 per abortion plus injunctive relief, costs, and attorney's fees.

• Exempts from liability: the pregnant woman receiving the abortion, accidental injuries from medical treatment, abortions performed under federal authority if preempted by federal law, and abortions by unaware common carriers transporting women.

• Prohibits state and local government enforcement; violations cannot trigger other law enforcement and courts cannot award attorney's fees to defendants; affirmative defenses available only for those with constitutional standing to assert women's abortion rights or if enforcement causes undue burden on abortion access.

• Declares an emergency, making the act effective upon gubernatorial approval, and clarifies it is supplemental to existing Arkansas abortion restrictions including the Human Heartbeat Protection Act and Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.