I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 490 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit abortion in cases where 

a fetal heartbeat is detectable. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 11, 2019 

Mr. KING of Iowa (for himself, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. DAVIDSON of 

Ohio, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. PALMER, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. 

WEBER of Texas, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. YOHO, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. JONES, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. LONG, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. HILL

of Arkansas, Mr. CLOUD, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, 

Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. 

ADERHOLT, Mr. BANKS, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. PERRY, Mr. HICE of 

Georgia, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. CARTER of Texas, Mr. KELLY

of Pennsylvania, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of 

Georgia, Mr. KUSTOFF of Tennessee, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. OLSON, Mr. 

HUIZENGA, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. LATTA, Mr. ARRINGTON, 

Mr. BABIN, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. EMMER, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. RUTHERFORD, 

Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. WALKER, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. BACON, 

Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. RATCLIFFE, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. 

ESTES, Mr. GIANFORTE, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. HOLDING, Mr. BUDD, 

Mr. ALLEN, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. LAHOOD, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. 

DUNN, and Mr. CARTER of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit abortion 

in cases where a fetal heartbeat is detectable. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Heartbeat Protection 

3 Act of 2019’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ABORTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT A CHECK FOR 

5 FETAL HEARTBEAT, OR IF A FETAL HEART6 BEAT IS DETECTABLE. 

7 (a) ABORTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT A CHECK

8 FOR FETAL HEARTBEAT, OR IF A FETAL HEARTBEAT IS

9 DETECTABLE.—Chapter 74 of title 18, United States 

10 Code, is amended— 

11 (1) in the chapter heading, by striking ‘‘PAR12 TIAL-BIRTH’’; 

13 (2) by inserting after section 1531 the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘§ 1532. Abortions prohibited without a check for 

16 fetal heartbeat, or if a fetal heartbeat is 

17 detectable 

18 ‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Any physician who knowingly per19 forms an abortion and thereby kills a human fetus— 

20 ‘‘(1) without determining, according to stand21 ard medical practice, whether the fetus has a detect22 able heartbeat; 

23 ‘‘(2) without informing the mother of the re24 sults of that determination; or 


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1 ‘‘(3) after determining, according to standard 

2 medical practice, that the fetus has a detectable 

3 heartbeat, 

4 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 

5 5 years, or both. This subsection does not apply to an 

6 abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother 

7 whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical 

8 illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering 

9 physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy 

10 itself, but not including psychological or emotional condi11 tions. 

12 ‘‘(b) DEFENDANT MAY SEEK HEARING.—A defend13 ant indicted for an offense under this section may seek 

14 a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the 

15 physician’s conduct was necessary to save the life of the 

16 mother whose life was endangered by a physical disorder, 

17 physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endan18 gering physical condition caused by or arising from the 

19 pregnancy itself, but not including psychological or emo20 tional conditions. The findings on that issue are admissible 

21 on that issue at the trial of the defendant. Upon a motion 

22 of the defendant, the court shall delay the beginning of 

23 the trial for not more than 30 days to permit such a hear24 ing to take place. 


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1 ‘‘(c) NO LIABILITY FOR THE MOTHER ON WHOM

2 ABORTION IS PERFORMED.—A mother upon whom an 

3 abortion is performed may not be prosecuted under this 

4 section, for a conspiracy to violate this section, or for an 

5 offense under section 2, 3, or 4 of this title based on a 

6 violation of this section. 

7 ‘‘(d) REQUIREMENT FOR DATA RETENTION.—The 

8 physician shall include in the medical file of the mother 

9 documentation of the determination, according to stand10 ard medical practice, of whether the fetus has a detectable 

11 heartbeat, the results of that determination, notification 

12 of the mother of those results, and any information en13 tered into evidence in any proceedings under subsection 

14 (b). Paragraph (j)(2) of section 164.530 of title 45, Code 

15 of Federal Regulations, shall apply to such documentation. 

16 ‘‘(e) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this section 

17 or the application of such provision to any person or cir18 cumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of this sec19 tion and the application of the provisions of the remainder 

20 to any person or circumstance shall not be affected there21 by.’’; and 

22 (3) in the table of sections, by inserting after 

23 the item pertaining to section 1841 the following: 

‘‘1532. Abortions prohibited without a check for fetal heartbeat, or if a fetal 

heartbeat is detectable.’’. 


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1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 

2 for part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended, 

3 in the item relating to chapter 74, to read as follows: 

‘‘74. Abortions .......................................................................................... 1531’’. 

Æ 


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