119-hr48

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 48 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 48

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.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 3, 2025

 Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Crenshaw, and Mr. Burlison) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 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.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Ultrasound Informed Consent Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

 The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

 ``TITLE XXXIV--INFORMED CONSENT

``

SEC. 3401. DEFINITIONS.

 ``In this title:
 ``

    (1) Abortion.--The term `abortion' means the intentional 
 use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, 
 substance, device, or method to terminate the life of an unborn 
 child, or to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be 
 pregnant, with an intention other than--
 ``
        (A) to produce a live birth and preserve the life 
 and health of the child after live birth; or
 ``
        (B) to remove an ectopic pregnancy, or to remove 
 a dead unborn child who died as the result of a 
 spontaneous abortion, accidental trauma, or a criminal 
 assault on the pregnant female or her unborn child.
 ``

    (2) Abortion provider.--The term `abortion provider' 
 means any person legally qualified to perform an abortion under 
 applicable Federal and State laws.
 ``

    (3) Unborn child.--The term `unborn child' means a member 
 of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development prior 
 to birth.
 ``

    (4) Unemancipated minor.--The term `unemancipated minor' 
 means a minor who is subject to the control, authority, and 
 supervision of his or her parent or guardian, as determined 
 under State law.
 ``

    (5) Woman.--The term `woman' means a female human being 
 whether or not she has reached the age of majority.

``

SEC. 3402. REQUIREMENT OF INFORMED CONSENT.

 ``

    (a) Requirement of Compliance by Providers.--Any abortion 
provider in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, who knowingly 
performs any abortion, shall comply with the requirements of this 
title.
 ``

    (b) Performance and Review of Ultrasound.--Prior to a woman 
giving informed consent to having any part of an abortion performed, 
the abortion provider who is to perform the abortion, or an agent under 
the supervision of the provider, shall--
 ``

    (1) perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant 
 woman;
 ``

    (2) provide a simultaneous explanation of what the 
 ultrasound is depicting;
 ``

    (3) display the ultrasound images so that the pregnant 
 woman may view them; and
 ``

    (4) provide a complete medical description of the 
 ultrasound images, which shall include--
 ``
        (A) the dimensions of the embryo or fetus;
 ``
        (B) cardiac activity if present and visible; and
 ``
            (C) the presence of external members and internal 
 organs if present and viewable.
 ``
            (c) Ability To Turn Eyes Away.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to prevent a pregnant woman from turning her eyes away from 
the ultrasound images required to be displayed and described to her. 
Neither the abortion provider nor the pregnant woman shall be subject 
to any penalty under this title if the pregnant woman declines to look 
at the displayed ultrasound images.

``

SEC. 3403. EXCEPTION FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.

 ``

    (a) Exception.--The provisions of 

section 3402 shall not apply to 
an abortion provider if the abortion is necessary to save the life of a 
mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical 
illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical 
condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
 ``

    (b) Certification.--Upon a determination by an abortion provider 
under subsection

    (a) that an abortion is necessary to save the life of 
a mother, such provider shall include in the medical file of the 
pregnant woman a truthful and accurate certification of the specific 
medical circumstances that support such determination.

``

SEC. 3404. PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY.

 ``

    (a) Civil Penalties.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Attorney General may commence a 
 civil action in Federal court under this section against any 
 abortion provider who knowingly commits an act constituting a 
 violation of this title for a penalty in an amount not to 
 exceed--
 ``
        (A) $100,000 for each such violation that is 
 adjudicated in the first proceeding against such 
 provider under this title; and
 ``
        (B) $250,000 for each violation of this title 
 that is adjudicated in a subsequent proceeding against 
 such provider under this title.
 ``

    (2) Notification.--Upon the assessment of a civil penalty 
 under paragraph

    (1) , the Attorney General shall notify the 
 appropriate State medical licensing authority.
 ``

    (b) Private Right of Action.--A woman upon whom an abortion has 
been performed in violation of this title may commence a civil action 
against the abortion provider for any violation of this title for 
actual and punitive damages. For purposes of the preceding sentence, 
actual damages are objectively verifiable money damages for all 
injuries.''.

SEC. 3. PREEMPTION.

 Nothing in this Act or the amendment made by this Act shall be 
construed to preempt any provision of State law to the extent that such 
State law establishes, implements, or continues in effect disclosure 
requirements regarding abortion or penalties for failure to comply with 
such requirements that are more extensive than those provided under the 
amendment made by this Act.

SEC. 4. SEVERABILITY.

 If any provision of this Act or the amendment made by this Act, or 
any application thereof, is found to be unconstitutional, the remainder 
of this Act and the amendment made by this Act, and any application 
thereof, shall not be affected by such finding.
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