summary
Introduced
01/03/2025
01/03/2025
In Committee
01/03/2025
01/03/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
119th Congress
Bill Summary
A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review the ultrasound before giving informed consent to receive an abortion.
AI Summary
This bill, titled the "Ultrasound Informed Consent Act", amends the Public Health Service Act to establish new requirements for abortion providers nationwide. The bill mandates that before performing an abortion, providers must conduct an obstetric ultrasound and provide a detailed explanation of the images to the pregnant woman, including specific medical details like the embryo or fetus's dimensions, cardiac activity, and visible external members and internal organs. The woman must be given the opportunity to view these images, though she is not required to look at them and cannot be penalized for choosing to look away. The bill defines key terms such as "abortion", "unborn child", and "woman", and provides a medical emergency exception for situations where the mother's life is endangered. For providers who fail to comply, the bill establishes significant civil penalties, with fines up to $100,000 for a first violation and $250,000 for subsequent violations, and allows women to pursue civil action against providers who do not follow the guidelines. The bill also explicitly does not preempt more stringent state laws regarding abortion disclosure and allows for severability, meaning if one part of the act is found unconstitutional, the rest of the act remains in effect.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (on 01/03/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/48/all-info |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr48/BILLS-119hr48ih.pdf |
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