Pro-Life Legislation Prohibiting LEAs or Public Charter Schools from Doing Business with Abortion Providers on House Committee Agenda

Pro-life legislation pending before Tennessee’s General Assembly that would prohibit Local Education Associations (LEA) or public charter schools from doing business with abortion providers continues through the legislative process in the state House, where it has been referred to the Senate Education Committee after passing on second consideration.

State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) originally filed SB2158 in state Senate. State Representative Debra Moody (R-Covington) has sponsored the state House companion version, HB2557 and it is continuing to make headway in the House.

Since The Tennessee Star last reported on these bills, HB2557 has been heard by the House Education Administration K-12 subcommittee, recommended for passage by the subcommittee, and referred to the full House Education Administration committee, where it has been placed on the calendar for consideration on February 23, 2022.

The Star previously reported that this legislation stresses the importance of children, life, and family, saying: “WHEREAS, children are a gift from God and deserve our protection from the time of conception and continuing into their childhood and education; and WHEREAS, family life education is a fundamentally important aspect of education, and the teaching of family life requires a dignity and respect for life.”

The bills amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1303, adding prohibitions for LEAs and public schools or open-enrollment public charter schools to enter into transactions to “assist in teaching family life” with an entity or an individual that performs abortions, induces abortions; provides abortion referrals, or provides funding, advocacy, or other support for abortion.

LEAs and public charter schools are prohibited in this legislation from doing business with entities that perform abortions, induce abortions, provide abortion referrals, or provide advocacy, funding, or other support for abortion.

LEAs are a home-schooling option in Tennessee.

Abortion is defined in the legislation as “the act of using or prescribing an instrument, medicine, drug, device, or other substance or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will with reasonable likelihood cause the death of the unborn child.”

The legislation does not define abortion as including acts that save the life of the mother, save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, provide for the removal of a dead unborn child caused by miscarriage, or the removal of an ectopic pregnancy.

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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Rep. Debra Moody” by Debra Moody.