Puerto Rico has enacted a new law recognizing unborn children as legal persons from the moment of conception. Signed by Republican Governor Jenniffer González-Colón, Senate Bill 504 amends the island’s Civil Code to affirm that every human being, including a child at any stage of gestation, possesses legal personality. The law allows unborn children to receive legal protections and benefits, such as health insurance coverage, inheritance rights (contingent on birth), protections in personal injury cases, property and donation rights, and certain labor-related benefits claimed by parents on their behalf.
The legislation states that these protections do not limit a pregnant woman’s legal authority to make decisions about her pregnancy. Pro-life advocates hailed the law as a landmark achievement, while abortion-rights groups criticized similar measures for prioritizing fetal rights over women’s rights. The law took effect immediately upon approval.
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