NH Senate to vote on expanding homicide law

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- The New Hampshire Senate is voting on whether to make causing the death of a fetus a homicide in cases other than abortion.

A bill before the Senate on Wednesday would expand the state's homicide statutes to include causing a pregnant woman to lose her fetus. The bill would make an exception for medical procedures such as abortion requested by the mother or her legal guardian.

The House-passed bill proposed making it possible to charge someone with first-degree murder, second-degree murder or negligent homicide for causing a death after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The Senate is considering applying the penalty from conception instead of after 24 weeks.

Fertility organizations oppose the bill because it doesn't exempt fertility treatments.