RICHMOND, Va. — A proposed bill in Virginia would allow a pregnant woman's fetus to count as a person when traveling in a car, which would therefore allow them to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in the Commonwealth.
HB 1894 was introduced by Republican Nicholas J. Freitas. The bill, "provides that a pregnant woman shall be considered two people for the purposes of determining occupancy in HOV and HOT lanes, provided that she has proof of pregnancy or, if traveling in a lane monitored by a photo-enforcement system, has certified the pregnancy with the Department of Transportation."
The bill would also "establish a process whereby a pregnant woman can certify that she is pregnant and have such information linked to her toll collection device, commonly known as an E-ZPass."
HB 1894 is not the first bill of its kind. Last year, a Texas woman made headlines by claiming her fetus was a person while fighting a ticket.
When an officer asked if there was a second person in the vehicle, Brandy Bottone of Plano, Texas, pointed at her stomach. "My baby girl is right here," she said.
Months later, legislators proposed HB 521, which did not advance in the legislature. Like the Texas bill, HB 1894 is not expected to advance in Virginia's split legislature.
Freitas hasn't been returning media calls about his plan... but lots of other people are talking.
"What it is is a backdoor personhood bill. And we know what it is and let's call it what it is," said Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax), the former speaker of the House of Delegates.
Critics say if a fetus is a person then abortion could be murder.
"It creates personhood rights for embryos and fetuses and it's extremely dangerous for pregnant people's rights and liberties," said Filler-Corn of the HOV bill.
Eight states in the last year have effectively banned abortion by defining a fetus as a person, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Supporters say it offers moral clarity.
Opponents say the concept could blow up to outlaw common forms of birth control and IVF. Virginia Democrats are hopeful they can scuttle the bill. "The bill could pass the House, But it's not going to pass the Senate. There's not a chance of that," said Filler-Corn.