A Republican lawmaker in Missouri has introduced a bill that would create a “central registry” for pregnant individuals considered “at risk” of seeking an abortion. The bill’s author, Republican state Rep. Phil Amato, described it as an “e-Harmony for babies,” aimed at matching pregnant people with adoptive families.
The legislation also allows the state to share data from this registry with law enforcement agencies, both within Missouri and in other states. The proposal, dubbed the “Save MO Babies Act,” has sparked concerns over privacy and the potential for government surveillance of those seeking abortions.
During a hearing with the Children and Families Committee, Amato largely deferred questions about the bill to Gerard Harms, an adoption attorney who helped write the legislation. Harms described the registry as a way for pregnant individuals considering adoption to be matched with prospective parents, similar to a dating service for babies. He also emphasized that participation would be voluntary and in compliance with federal health privacy laws.
However, the bill has raised alarms among critics, including abortion rights advocates who warn of a potential invasion of privacy. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, expressed concerns that the bill is part of a broader pattern of tracking and surveilling pregnant people in the state. She pointed to a previous admission by Missouri’s former health department director that he had tracked the menstrual cycles of Planned Parenthood patients.
Schwarz criticized the bill’s proposal, calling it disturbing that politicians would “shop for children” and exploit pregnant people to further their own political agendas. “No pregnant person, no child is off the table for anti-abortion politicians,” she stated.
Missouri House Democrats also voiced strong opposition on social media, with some calling the idea outrageous. “We have to imagine even conservative Missourians would be horrified by this idea,” a post from the Missouri House Democratic Caucus read.
Amato has yet to respond to requests for comment on the legislation.
The bill, if passed, would require Missouri’s Department of Social Services to maintain two registries: one for expecting mothers considered “at risk” of seeking an abortion and another for prospective adoptive parents who have passed background checks and other screenings. The division would also be allowed to share information from the registries with federal, state, and local agencies, including law enforcement outside Missouri.
This proposal comes amid ongoing legal battles over abortion rights in the state. Missouri was one of several states where voters recently passed measures to protect abortion access, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving abortion rights up to individual states. A judge recently ruled that Missouri’s near-total abortion ban is unenforceable under the new state constitutional amendment.
Missouri saw more than 3,000 abortions in 2022, a significant drop from over 8,000 in 1999. Despite a decrease in abortion numbers, abortion rights advocates remain on alert, especially with potential moves from the Trump administration to target abortion access nationwide. Last month, President Trump pardoned 23 anti-abortion activists, and his administration has made efforts to limit reproductive health care globally. Nearly three years after the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned, nearly half of U.S. states have severely restricted or banned access to abortion.
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