I

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 929

To amend title 18, United States Code, to ban partial-birth abortions.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 5, 1997

Mr. CANADY of Florida (for himself, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. HYDE, Mrs.

MYRICK, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. COBURN, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr.

ARMEY, Mr. DELAY, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr.

WATTS of Oklahoma, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mrs. SMITH of

Washington, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. MASCARA, Mr.

HOSTETTLER, Mr. HULSHOF, Mrs. NORTHUP, Mr. BARCIA, Mr. DAVIS

of Virginia, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. KLINK,

Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. SKELTON, Ms. DANNER, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr.

KNOLLENBERG, Mr. HILLEARY, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. BRYANT, Mr.

BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. HERGER, Mr. CRANE, Mr. DICKEY, Mr.

BURTON of Indiana, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. UNDERWOOD,

Mr. CHABOT, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr.

PAPPAS, Mr. KING, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. CANNON, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. PITTS, Mr. FORBES, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. YOUNG of

Alaska, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. WALSH, Mr. BUNNING, Mr.

GANSKE, Mr. HILL, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. QUINN, Mr.

DIAZ-BALART, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr.

CALLAHAN, Mr. STUMP, Mr. MICA, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr.

BEREUTER, Mr. TALENT, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. CAMP, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. BUYER, Mr.

LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. POSHARD, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. JOHN, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr.

BAKER, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr.

SOLOMON, Mr. WICKER, Mr. RYUN, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.

PARKER, Mr. COBLE, Mr. BONO, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr.

TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. WATKINS,

Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. MCDADE, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. JONES,

Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. WAMP,

Mr. LINDER, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. GOODLING, Mr.

PETRI, Mr. NEY, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. STUPAK, Mr.

HASTERT, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. ROGERS, Mr.

SALMON, Mr. POMBO, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr.
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ADERHOLT, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr.

EVERETT, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. ARCHER, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. METCALF, Mr.

OXLEY, Mr. PAXON, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr.

GILLMOR, Mr. SPENCE, Mr. KASICH, Mr. NEUMANN, Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. GOODE, Mr. PEASE,

Mr. COMBEST, and Mr. WHITFIELD) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to ban partialbirth abortions.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Partial-Birth Abortion

5 Ban Act of 1997’’.

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 18, United States Code, is

8 amended by inserting after chapter 73 the following:

9 ‘‘CHAPTER 74—PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS

‘‘Sec.

‘‘1531 Partial-birth abortions prohibited.

10 ‘‘§ 1531 Partial-birth abortions prohibited

11 ‘‘(a) Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign

12 commerce, knowingly performs a partial-birth abortion

13 and thereby kills a human fetus or infant shall be fined

14 under this title or imprisoned not more than two years,

15 or both.
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1 ‘‘(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a partial-birth

2 abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother be3 cause her life is endangered by a physical disorder, phys4 ical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering

5 physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy

6 itself, if no other medical procedure would suffice for that

7 purpose.

8 ‘‘(c) As used in this section—

9 ‘‘(1) the term ‘partial-birth abortion’ means an

10 abortion in which the person performing the abor11 tion partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before

12 killing the infant and completing the delivery; and

13 ‘‘(2) the terms ‘fetus’ and ‘infant’ are inter14 changeable.

15 ‘‘(d)(1) Unless the pregnancy resulted from the plain16 tiff’s criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the

17 abortion, the father, and if the mother has not attained

18 the age of 18 years at the time of the abortion, the mater19 nal grandparents of the fetus or infant, may in a civil ac20 tion obtain appropriate relief.

21 ‘‘(2) Such relief shall include—

22 ‘‘(A) money damages for all injuries, psycho23 logical and physical, occasioned by the violation of

24 this section; and
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1 ‘‘(B) statutory damages equal to three times

2 the cost of the partial-birth abortion;

3 even if the mother consented to the performance of an

4 abortion.

5 ‘‘(e) A woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is

6 performed may not be prosecuted under this section for

7 a conspiracy to violate this section, or an offense under

8 section 2, 3, or 4 of this title based on a violation of this

9 section.’’.

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

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

12 inserting after the item relating to chapter 73 the follow13 ing new item:

‘‘74. Partial-birth abortions ........................................................... 1531’’.

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