Baby On Board? New VA Bill Would Count Fetus As Passenger In HOV Lanes

Having a “baby on board” could take on a new meaning in Virginia if a newly proposed bill is turned into law.

Fetuses could soon count as passengers in Virginia.
Photo Credit: *Wikimedia Commons/Coolcaesar*

01/12/2023 4:34 p.m.

House Bill 1894, which was filed this week by a Republican legislator, would deem a pregnant woman’s fetus a passenger in the car, allowing vehicles to use the carpool lanes on Virginia highways.

According to the bill, 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 require the Department of Transportation to establish a process that can certify that she is pregnant and have that information linked to her E-ZPass device so as to not be over-billed or ticketed.

Complete details of HB 1894 can be found here.

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