TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 16, 2026

A bill that sought to charge women who seek abortions with homicide, and potentially the death penalty, died in a Tennessee House subcommittee on March 10, The Tennessean reports. HB570, sponsored by Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, would have removed legal protections currently in state law for pregnant women and classified harm done to an unborn child as equal to assaults on a person “born alive.” No member of the House Population Subcommittee made a motion to hear the bill, which effectively killed the legislation. Barrett said the bill was intended to align with the state’s Human Life Protection Act, a trigger law that took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. The Nashville Banner has more on Barrett's comments.