2016 US Code
Title 10 - Armed Forces
Subtitle A - General Military Law
Part II - Personnel
Chapter 47 - Uniform Code of Military Justice
Subchapter X - Punitive Articles
Sec. 919a - Art. 119a. Death or injury of an unborn child

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Citation 10 U.S.C. § 919a (2016)
Section Name §919a. Art. 119a. Death or injury of an unborn child
Section Text

(a)(1) Any person subject to this chapter who engages in conduct that violates any of the provisions of law listed in subsection (b) and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of title 18) to, a child, who is in utero at the time the conduct takes place, is guilty of a separate offense under this section and shall, upon conviction, be punished by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct, which shall be consistent with the punishments prescribed by the President for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother.

(2) An offense under this section does not require proof that—

(i) the person engaging in the conduct had knowledge or should have had knowledge that the victim of the underlying offense was pregnant; or

(ii) the accused intended to cause the death of, or bodily injury to, the unborn child.


(3) If the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall, instead of being punished under paragraph (1), be punished as provided under sections 880, 918, and 919(a) of this title (articles 80, 118, and 119(a)) for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed for an offense under this section.

(b) The provisions referred to in subsection (a) are sections 918, 919(a), 919(b)(2), 920(a), 922, 924, 926, and 928 of this title (articles 118, 119(a), 119(b)(2), 120(a), 122, 124, 126, and 128).

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the prosecution—

(1) of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman, or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf, has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law;

(2) of any person for any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her unborn child; or

(3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.


(d) In this section, the term "unborn child" means a child in utero, and the term "child in utero" or "child, who is in utero" means a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.

Source Credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–212, §3(a), Apr. 1, 2004, 118 Stat. 569; amended Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LX, §5401(13)(B), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2939.)

Editorial Notes Amendment of Subsection (b)

Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LX, §5401(13)(B), title LXIII, §5542, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2939, 2967, provided that, effective on the date designated by the President, not later than the first day of the first calendar month beginning two years after Dec. 23, 2016, with implementing regulations prescribed by the President not later than one year after Dec. 23, 2016, and with provisions relating to applicability to various situations, subsection (b) of this section is amended by substituting "928a," for "924," and "128a" for "124,". See 2016 Amendment note below. For text of this section after amendment on the effective date, see Amendment of Analysis and Subchapter note preceding section 877 of this title.

AMENDMENTS

2016—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted "928a," for "924," and "128a" for "124,".

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2016 AMENDMENT

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on the date designated by the President, not later than the first day of the first calendar month beginning two years after Dec. 23, 2016, with implementing regulations prescribed by the President not later than one year after Dec. 23, 2016, and with provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

Publication Title United States Code, 2012 Edition, Supplement 4, Title 10 - ARMED FORCES
Category Bills and Statutes
Collection United States Code
SuDoc Class Number Y 1.2/5:
Contained Within Title 10 - ARMED FORCES
Subtitle A - General Military Law
PART II - PERSONNEL
CHAPTER 47 - UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE
SUBCHAPTER X - PUNITIVE ARTICLES
Sec. 919a - Art. 119a. Death or injury of an unborn child
Contains section 919a
Date 2016
Laws In Effect As Of Date January 6, 2017
Positive Law Yes
Disposition standard
Statutes at Large References 118 Stat. 569
130 Stat. 2939
Public Law References Public Law 108-212, Public Law 114-328
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