Tennessee Bill Would Charge Pregnant Women Using Drugs If Baby Born Addicted
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--A Tennessee bill looks to prosecute pregnant women for assault if they use illegal drugs and the child is born addicted or harmed from the drug use.
HB1168/SB0659 was filed last week by Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster) and Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma).
The bill states if a woman uses an illegal narcotic drug while pregnant and if the child is born addicted to or harmed by the narcotic drug and the addiction or harm is a result of the woman's illegal use of a narcotic drug while pregnant, that woman can be charged.
The bill goes on to state a defense from prosecution will be allowed if the woman is actively enrolled in an addiction recovery program before the child is born, if she remained in the program after delivery, and successfully completes the program -regardless if the child was born addicted or not.
If passed, the law would go into effect July 1, 2019.
Recent Posts
See AllETOWAH, Tenn. — A restaurant owner in McMinn County is offering free meals for programs helping men and women battle drug and alcohol addictions. In this week's Pay It Forward, Jessica Harthorn surpri
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — At UT Medical Center, there's a program for pregnant women struggling with substance abuse. As the doctors and nurses work to help expectant mothers get on a healthier path, Emily K
How could it be that 30-50 percent of the babies delivered in Nashville hospitals are born into poverty? I was flabbergasted to learn that on average more than 6,000 of the approximate 14,650 babies b