Tremendous news to share with you…. This actually happened a few weeks ago, but I missed it so I’m bringing it to you now. For purposes of criminal cases, Puerto Rico has now defined a human fetus as a human being. In other words, kill a pregnant lady in Puerto Rico and you’re now facing TWO murder charges instead of one. BREAKING: Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González has signed Senate Bill 923, amending the Penal Code to recognize a fetus as a human being in m-rder cases. — Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 13, 2026 The San Juan Daily had more details: The island House of Representatives has approved Senate Bill 923, a measure that amends Puerto Rico’s Penal Code to recognize a fetus at any stage of gestation as a human being for specific homicide‑related provisions. The bill passed with 33 votes in favor, backed largely by members of the New Progressive Party (NPP) on Tuesday. House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez said the measure aims to address cases involving the killing of a pregnant woman, asserting that the change “has nothing to do with abortion.” “This is about the murder of a woman who has in her womb a human being that is properly conceived and developing,” Méndez Núñez said, adding that the legislation aligns the Penal Code with provisions in the 2025 Keyshla Madlane Law and Law 183‑2025. Minority lawmakers criticized the bill’s expedited procedure, which bypassed the typical committee process. Méndez Núñez defended the move as part of the administration’s mandate following the 2024 general elections. Rep. Adriana Gutiérrez Colón of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) opposed the measure, warning that similar laws in U.S. states have led to more than 400 criminal prosecutions of pregnant women for miscarriages or substance use during pregnancy. She stressed that abortion remains legal in Puerto Rico under the Puerto Rico Supreme Court’s ruling in Pueblo v. Duarte, which affirmed the practice to protect a pregnant person’s life and health. Her position was challenged by Dignity Project spokesperson Rep. Lisie Burgos Muñiz, who argued that the only valid medical exception for ending a pregnancy is “to save the mother’s life.” Burgos Muñiz dismissed concerns from doctors who feared legal exposure during therapeutic abortions, saying criminal liability would apply only to voluntary terminations performed “deliberately to cause the baby’s death.” Rep. Estrella Martínez Soto of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) also denounced the bill, saying its language “criminalizes women” and raises questions about how it would apply in cases of natural miscarriage. “You’re no longer a patient,” she said. “You’re going to be categorized as a suspect in a murder.” Despite the PDP caucus’ official opposition, three of its members — Reps. Reinaldo Figueroa Acevedo, Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras and Sol Higgins Cuadrado — voted in favor. PDP Reps. Gretchen Hau Irizarry and Edgardo Feliciano Sánchez abstained. The bill drew 10 votes against, including from NPP Reps. José “Che” Pérez Cordero and Roberto López Román. Watch more from OANN here: Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González-Colón signs Senate Bill 923, officially recognizing unborn children as human beings. The law strengthens murder penalties to ensure consistent justice for crimes harming both born and unborn victims. Watch OAN on Spectrum and YouTube TV… pic.twitter.com/fYCkWsXzjv — One America News (@OANN) February 16, 2026 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón signed Senate Bill 923 into law on February 12, 2026, amending Puerto Rico’s Penal Code to explicitly recognize a conceived child at any stage of gestation as a “human being” for certain murder provisions. Legislative Changes to the Penal Code The legislation, which took effect immediately as Law 18-2026, updates Article 92 of the Penal Code. It clarifies that the term “human being” includes “the conceived unborn at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb” for purposes of subsections (g) and (h) of Article 93, which address homicide offenses. According to the governor’s office, the measure aims “to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being.” It builds directly on Law 166-2025, known as the Keyshla Madlane Act— named after a pregnant woman murdered in 2021 — which classifies the intentional killing of a pregnant woman that also results in the death of her unborn child as first-degree murder. Support and Legal Recognition Supporters have described the new law as an important legal acknowledgment that life in the womb is not disposable and should receive protection under criminal statutes in cases of violent crime. They view it as a direct statement affirming the humanity of the unborn that many other governments have been unwilling to make. Criticism and Medical Concerns The bill has drawn criticism from some physicians, lawyers and reproductive-rights advocates, who warn it could create uncertainty in medical practice despite officials emphasizing that it applies only to homicide cases and does not alter Puerto Rico’s existing abortion regulations. The signing marks the latest step in Puerto Rico’s recent efforts to align civil and criminal law regarding the legal status of the unborn, following a 2025 amendment to the Civil Code that granted personhood from conception.