Healthcare (Women's Health)

This bill prohibits federal funding under Title X (which supports family planning services) for clinics or organizations that perform or fund abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or when a physician certifies a life-threatening condition. It requires grantees to certify compliance annually and mandates detailed annual reports to Congress on exceptions, including abortion counts by circumstance. The law directly affects Title X-funded providers who currently offer abortion services, potentially forcing them to stop providing abortions or lose federal funding. Key mechanisms include the certification requirement, exception criteria, and the new reporting obligations for the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

HR 1639, the BOAT Act, makes it a federal crime to perform an abortion resulting in fetal death on U.S. ships or in U.S. waters (admiralty jurisdiction), punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The law includes exceptions for abortions necessary to save a pregnant woman's life (including pregnancy-related conditions), abortions following adult rape (requiring 48-hour counseling or medical treatment), or abortions following rape/incest involving minors (requiring prior reporting to authorities). It also creates civil lawsuits allowing women who had abortions in violation of the law to seek triple the abortion cost, medical damages, and attorney fees. The bill directly affects healthcare providers performing abortions on U.S. vessels or in U.S. waters and the women receiving such care.

HR 797, the Ultrasounds Save Lives Act of 2025, requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before an abortion (except in medical emergencies) and share the results with the patient. It mandates a specific informed consent form detailing the fetus's gestational age, medical risks, developmental stage (including heartbeat and organ development), and provider penalties for non-compliance. Violations trigger civil penalties of $100,000-$250,000 per incident, plus private lawsuits allowing patients to seek triple the abortion cost in damages. The law applies to licensed medical providers and those legally authorized to perform abortions, with exceptions only when ultrasound poses a direct risk to the patient's life or major bodily function.

HR 629, the "Ending Chemical Abortions Act of 2025," would criminalize the prescription, distribution, or sale of drugs used for chemical abortions (like mifepristone and misoprostol) under federal law, with penalties up to 25 years in prison. It directly affects healthcare providers who prescribe or dispense these drugs, while exempting contraceptive use before pregnancy, treatment of miscarriages, and life-threatening pregnancy conditions certified by a physician. The bill defines "abortion" as intentionally ending a pregnancy, excludes women from prosecution, and redefines "unborn child" to begin at fertilization. This legislation would replace existing federal abortion-related provisions and apply nationwide, making chemical abortion drugs subject to new criminal penalties.

This bill prohibits doctors from performing abortions based solely on a Down syndrome diagnosis. It requires providers to ask patients about such diagnoses before an abortion and inform them of the ban. Violations could result in criminal penalties (up to 5 years in prison) or civil lawsuits seeking damages for the patient or family. The law applies to all abortions performed in the U.S. or transported across state lines for this specific purpose. It does not restrict other abortion procedures or create a new right to abortion.

Protecting Life from Chemical Abortions Act This bill nullifies certain changes made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispensing requirements for mifepristone. (Mifepristone is a drug that is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks gestation when used in conjunction with the drug misoprostol. The procedure is often referred to as medication abortion or the abortion pill.) The FDA regulates mifepristone through the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. The program requires health care providers to comply with certain requirements in order to prescribe or dispense mifepristone to end a pregnancy; the program previously included an in-person dispensing requirement that required mifepristone to be directly dispensed to patients in clinics, medical offices, or hospitals. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the FDA stopped enforcing the in-person dispensing requirement, which allowed mail-order pharmacies to fill and dispense mifepristone prescriptions. In January 2023, the FDA modified program requirements so as to (1) remove the in-person dispensing requirement, and (2) require pharmacies to be program-certified in order to dispense mifepristone. The modifications allow certified retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone pursuant to prescriptions that are written by certified prescribers. The bill nullifies the January 2023 changes and prohibits the FDA from (1) exercising any enforcement discretion with respect to program requirements, or (2) reducing program protections until every state submits certain data regarding abortions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill also generally prohibits the declaration of a public health emergency with respect to abortions.

This bill prohibits U.S. foreign aid from funding any foreign government or organization that provides, promotes, or facilitates abortions under most circumstances. It blocks funding to foreign entities performing abortions, offering abortion referrals, promoting abortion services, or funding related research, with exceptions only for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest (requiring documented proof like police reports). Foreign governments and organizations receiving U.S. aid must certify compliance annually, and violations risk losing future funding, repayment of misused funds, or penalties. The policy directly affects U.S. foreign assistance programs targeting global health and development, excluding only rape/incest cases with required documentation.

This bill requires abortion providers to give patients a consent form outlining disposal options for fetal remains (taking the remains or transferring them to interment/cremation services). Providers must arrange interment or cremation within 7 days if patients release remains, and face civil penalties up to $50,000 or criminal charges for noncompliance. It mandates annual reporting by providers on abortion procedures, gestational age, and disposal methods, with the Secretary submitting a separate report to Congress. The bill directly affects abortion providers and patients receiving abortion care, adding handling and reporting requirements for fetal remains without changing abortion access or medical procedures.

This bill requires the FDA to reinstate the 2011 safety program for mifepristone (the drug sold as Mifeprex) and bans its importation into the U.S. It creates federal liability for harm caused by illegal importers of the drug, allowing lawsuits for bodily injury or mental health harm resulting from unauthorized importation. The law applies specifically to telehealth providers, pharmacies, or others who knowingly import mifepristone across state lines. It takes effect 90 days after enactment.

HR 895 requires the Attorney General to investigate whether the 2022 discovery of five baby remains in Washington, DC, violated the existing Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, with a report due within six months. It mandates that healthcare workers must immediately report suspected violations of the ban to law enforcement and requires annual reports from the Attorney General detailing enforcement efforts, violations, and prosecutions over the past decade. The bill also directs the GAO to review enforcement actions from 2004-2024 and submit recommendations. This legislation focuses on strengthening enforcement of the existing 2003 ban, directly affecting healthcare providers, law enforcement, and the Department of Justice.