Unborn Victims of Violence Act/Ethen's Law introduced in NC House Today

Greensboro, NC – State Representatives Dale Folwell (R-74), Mark Hilton (R-96), Edgar Starnes (R-87), and Fred Steen (R-76) have introduced the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (UVVA)/Ethen’s Law.  The UVVA recognizes that when a criminal attacks a pregnant woman, and injures or kills her unborn child, he has claimed two human victims.

Modeled after the federal UVVA which passed Congress April 1, 2004, the bill corrects the inequality of having parts of North Carolina, under federal jurisdiction, recognize the unborn as a second victim while the remainder of the state, not under federal jurisdiction, does not.

Currently, there are 35 states with complete or partial coverage of unborn victims.  If passed as introduced, the UVVA will make North Carolina the 26th state having complete coverage, like Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia.

“The many North Carolina families of unborn victims of violence should not have to wait any longer for North Carolina to recognize that they have lost two, not just one, members of their families,” stated Barbara Holt, President of North Carolina Right to Life. “We urge the legislature to make these families’ wishes a reality by passing the bill quickly.”

ACTION: Contact your State House member to support the bill if his or her name is not listed as a Primary or Co- Sponsor of the bill.  To read the bill, see the list of Primary and Co Sponsors, and find contact information for your State House member, click here. If your State House member is one of the sponsors, please be sure to say thank you.