Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed a bill on Thursday that amends local penal-code provisions to recognize a fetus as a human being, a move opponents say could reshape pregnancy-related medical practice in a territory where abortion remains legal. The law, Senate Bill 923, was approved without public hearings, according to the concerns raised by doctors and civil liberties advocates.
González, a Republican who supports U.S. President Donald Trump, said in a brief statement that the legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being. The amendment was made to an article within Puerto Rico’s Penal Code that defines murder, according to the report.
In warning about the potential fallout for medical care, Dr. Carlos Díaz Vélez, president of Puerto Rico’s College of Medical Surgeons, said the amended law will lead to “defensive health care.” He told The Associated Press in a phone interview that recognizing a fetus as a human being would bring complex clinical decisions “into the realm of criminal law.”
Díaz said that women with complicated pregnancies would likely be turned away by private doctors and forced to seek care either on the U.S. mainland or at Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital, where he said the island’s health system is already strained. He also warned that the “system is not prepared” for what he said would follow from the legal changes, and he raised concerns about privacy and new interventions during pregnancy care.
In particular, Díaz said the amended law allows a third person to intervene between a doctor and a pregnant woman, which he warned could violate privacy laws. He said new protocols and regulations would have to be implemented, adding that the medical system was not ready for the change. He also faulted the legislative process for not consulting the medical sector, saying, “The problem is that no medical recommendations were followed here,” and calling it “a serious blow.”
Opponents framed the amendment as a step toward broader criminalization of reproductive outcomes. Rosa Seguí Cordero, an attorney and spokesperson for the National Campaign for Free, Safe and Accessible Abortion in Puerto Rico, said, “A zygote was given legal personality,” and that “We women were stripped of our rights.” Seguí also raised questions about possible downstream consequences, including how the zygote’s recognition might affect access to health insurance and whether a person who loses a fetus could be treated as a murder suspect.
Civil-liberties advocates also criticized the bill’s approval process. Annette Martínez Orabona, the executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Puerto Rico, said there was no broad discussion of the measure and that the penal code carries the most severe penalties. In her remarks, she said, “There is no doubt that the measure did not undergo adequate analysis before its approval and leaves an unacceptable space for ambiguity regarding civil rights,” and added that “The legislative leadership failed to fulfill its responsibility to the people, and so did the governor.”