IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 89 
Expressing opposition to the criminalization of essential health care, including 
the full range of sexual and reproductive health care such as abortion, 
gender-affirming care, and contraceptive care, and disapproving of the 
criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2022 
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. 
ESCOBAR, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. JA-
COBS of California, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. 
PRESSLEY, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WILSON 
of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Ms. CHU, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New 
York, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. JACKSON LEE, 
Ms. BUSH, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. JONES, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. NEWMAN, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. 
HORSFORD, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. 
AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. DOG-
GETT, Ms. BASS, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Mr. TRONE, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. CARSON, Mr. TAKANO, 
Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. TITUS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illi-
nois, Ms. ROSS, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. 
OMAR, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. PETERS, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 
CASE, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CROW, Ms. MENG, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
PAYNE, Ms. PORTER, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. RASKIN, Mrs. TORRES of Cali-
fornia, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. SWALWELL, 
Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. CASTEN, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. KILMER, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. SOTO, 
Mr. MOULTON, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. MANNING, Mr. EVANS, Mr. 
DEUTCH, Mrs. MCBATH, Mrs. LEE of Nevada, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, 
Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. DEAN, Mr. RYAN, Mr. 
SCHNEIDER, Ms. BOURDEAUX, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. KELLY 
of Illinois, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. 
STEVENS, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. 
SA´NCHEZ, Mr. WELCH, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mrs. CHERFILUS- 
MCCORMICK, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. 
NADLER, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mrs. BEATTY, and Mr. PHILLIPS) submitted 
the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
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•HCON 89 IH 
on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judi-
ciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing opposition to the criminalization of essential 
health care, including the full range of sexual and repro-
ductive health care such as abortion, gender-affirming 
care, and contraceptive care, and disapproving of the 
criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. 
Whereas access to the full range of sexual, gender-affirming, 
and reproductive health care, including abortion, is essen-
tial to the health and well-being of all people; 
Whereas reproductive and sexual health care providers, and 
those who support people making important health care 
decisions, provide high-quality, essential health care and 
play a critical role in ensuring people are able to make 
decisions about their bodies and lives with dignity, empa-
thy, compassion, and respect; 
Whereas no one should be criminalized for providing essential 
health care; 
Whereas no one should be criminalized for their pregnancy 
outcomes, for using contraception, or for obtaining gen-
der-affirming care; 
Whereas States and localities have attempted to prohibit 
health care providers from providing gender-affirming 
and reproductive health care, including abortion care, to 
patients; 
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•HCON 89 IH 
Whereas people have been prosecuted in the United States 
for their actions during pregnancy that allegedly caused 
harm or risk to their pregnancies; 
Whereas people have been forced to undergo unwanted med-
ical procedures or surgical interventions including invol-
untary sterilization and cesarean sections, prosecuted for 
not seeking health care, prosecuted for experiencing a 
miscarriage or stillbirth, criminalized for alcohol and 
drug use during pregnancy, and prosecuted for self-man-
aging an abortion; 
Whereas groups like the American Medical Association, 
American Public Health Association, American Academy 
of Pediatrics, American Society of Addiction Medicine, 
the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 
the American Bar Association, and others oppose the 
criminalization of health care provision and the criminal-
ization of pregnancy outcomes; 
Whereas the threat of criminalization or prosecution can re-
sult in negative outcomes by intimidating people from 
seeking or providing care; 
Whereas abortion and gender-affirming care have become in-
creasingly restricted in the United States; 
Whereas research shows there is an increased need and de-
mand for pills to self-manage an abortion in States with 
abortion restrictions, and that self-managed abortion with 
access to medications and accurate information is safe; 
Whereas the reasons why people self-manage an abortion are 
varied and valid; 
Whereas health care providers have an ethical obligation to 
provide essential care to their patients and to protect the 
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•HCON 89 IH 
private medical information integral to the patient-pro-
vider relationship; 
Whereas even when charges are dropped or the defendant is 
exonerated, the turmoil caused by arrest or prosecution 
is irreparable; 
Whereas several States have taken steps to repeal or reform 
laws that had been used to criminalize pregnancy out-
comes and to increase access to abortion, contraception, 
and gender-affirming care; 
Whereas Black, indigenous, and people of color, people with 
low 
incomes, 
LGBTQ+ 
individuals, 
and 
other 
marginalized individuals are disproportionately likely to 
be surveilled, arrested, charged, prosecuted, convicted, 
and heavily punished within the criminal justice system; 
Whereas Black, indigenous, and people of color, people with 
low 
incomes, 
LGBTQ+ 
individuals, 
and 
other 
marginalized individuals are more likely, due to persistent 
disparities, to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes 
that place them under the scrutiny of the legal system; 
and 
Whereas punishing people for their pregnancy outcomes or 
for providing essential reproductive and sexual health 
care violates their fundamental rights: Now, therefore, be 
it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) condemns the misapplication of criminal 
laws to punish people for the outcomes of their preg-
nancies; 
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•HCON 89 IH 
(2) affirms that people deserve access to high- 
quality health care without fear of reprisal or pun-
ishment; 
(3) condemns the criminalization of providing 
essential health care; 
(4) affirms the ethical obligations of health care 
providers to safeguard patient privacy; and 
(5)(A) declares a vision for a future where ac-
cess to abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming 
care is universally free from restrictions and bans 
and people are able to manage care on their own 
terms free from discrimination or punishment; and 
(B) affirms Congress’ commitment to working 
toward this goal in partnership with providers, pa-
tients, advocates, and their communities. 
Æ 
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