The Louisiana House is considering a bill today that would require hospitals and other facilities to allow parents the option of having a funeral for their miscarried child. HB 618 also requires hospitals to have a chaplain or other counseling services available.

State Rep. Tom Willmott is running the bill and the it is a priority of Louisiana Right To Life this session. As of 2015, only 16 states had similar legislation.

What the legislation aims to do is to provide closure and a process to grieve for parents who suffer a miscarriage in the later stages of a preganancy.

We asked Deanna Marie Wallace of Louisiana Right To Life about this bill and here’s what she told The Hayride:

I’m proud to be part of this important bill that recognizes that parents deserve the chance to mourn their miscarried children. Since this bill was introduced, we’ve heard from women all around the state telling us about their experiences with miscarriage, and how this bill would’ve made the grieving process less difficult for them and their families.

The bill passed the Louisiana House 99-0 and has not encountered any major opposition along the process. The bill should easily pass the Senate and be signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards.

While the bill is a truly compassionate measure to help women and families who suffer the misfortune of a miscarriage, it helps the pro-life agenda in one major way. It helps establish the precedent of legal protections for unborn children, particularly in the later stages of development.

Abortion industry advocates like Planned Parenthood have to walk a fine line on this bill. If they support it, they may undermine their legal arguments for legalized abortion and may make it easier for states to get abortion restrictions to stick. On the other hand if they come out against it, they will be tarred as cruel ideologues. Truly a rock and a hard places for the dealers of baby parts.