I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6077 
To ensure that women seeking an abortion are notified, before giving informed 
consent to receive an abortion, of the medical risks associated with 
the abortion procedure and the major developmental characteristics of 
the unborn child. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2020 
Mrs. HARTZLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To ensure that women seeking an abortion are notified, 
before giving informed consent to receive an abortion, 
of the medical risks associated with the abortion proce-
dure and the major developmental characteristics of the 
unborn child. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Woman’s Right To 
Know Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT OF INFORMED CONSENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
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(1) REQUIREMENT
OF
COMPLIANCE
BY
PRO-
VIDERS.—Any abortion provider, acting in or affect-
ing interstate or foreign commerce, who knowingly 
performs, or attempts to perform, any abortion shall 
comply with the requirements of this section. 
(2) REVIEW OF MEDICAL RISKS AND UNBORN 
HEALTH STATUS.—An abortion provider who intends 
to perform, or attempt to perform, an abortion may 
not perform any part of the abortion procedure with-
out first obtaining a signed Informed Consent Au-
thorization form in accordance with this subsection. 
(3) 
INFORMED
CONSENT
AUTHORIZATION 
FORM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Informed Consent 
Authorization form required under this sub-
section shall— 
(i) be presented in person by the abor-
tion provider 24 hours prior to performing, 
or attempting to perform, the abortion to 
the woman seeking the abortion; and 
(ii) consist of— 
(I) a statement by the abortion 
provider indicating— 
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(aa) the probable gestational 
age, in completed days, of the 
child; 
(bb) all medical risks associ-
ated with the specific abortion 
procedure; and 
(cc) the major developmental 
characteristics of unborn children 
at such gestational age, including 
the presence of a heartbeat, the 
ability to react to painful stimuli, 
and the development of organs, 
appendages, and facial features; 
(II) a statement that the require-
ments of this subsection are binding 
upon the abortion provider and all 
other medical personnel, that such 
abortion providers and medical per-
sonnel are subject to criminal and 
civil penalties for violations of these 
requirements, and that a woman on 
whom an abortion has been performed 
may take civil action if these require-
ments are not followed; and 
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(III) an affirmation that each in-
dividual signing the Informed Consent 
Authorization form has filled out the 
form to the best of his or her knowl-
edge and understands the information 
contained in the form. 
(B) SIGNATORIES
REQUIRED.—The In-
formed Consent Authorization form required 
under this subsection shall be signed in person 
by the woman seeking the abortion, the abor-
tion provider performing or attempting to per-
form the abortion, and a witness. 
(C) RETENTION OF CONSENT FORM.—The 
abortion provider performing or attempting to 
perform an abortion shall retain the signed In-
formed Consent Authorization form required 
under this subsection in the patient’s medical 
file. 
(D) REQUIREMENT
FOR
DATA
RETEN-
TION.—Paragraph (j)(2) of section 164.530 of 
title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, shall 
apply to the Informed Consent Authorization 
form required to be placed in a patient’s med-
ical file pursuant to subparagraph (C) in the 
same manner and to the same extent as such 
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paragraph applies to documentation required by 
paragraph (j)(1) of such section. 
(4) EXCEPTIONS.—The requirements of this 
subsection shall not apply if, in reasonable medical 
judgment, compliance with paragraph (2) would pose 
a greater risk of— 
(A) the death of the pregnant woman; or 
(B) the substantial and irreversible phys-
ical impairment of a major bodily function, not 
including psychological or emotional conditions, 
of the pregnant woman. 
(b) PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY.— 
(1) CIVIL PENALTY.— 
(A) ENFORCEMENT
BY
ATTORNEY
GEN-
ERAL.—The Attorney General shall commence 
a civil action in an appropriate district court of 
the United States under this subsection against 
any abortion provider who knowingly commits a 
violation of subsection (a). 
(B) PENALTY.—In a civil action under 
subparagraph (A), the court may, to vindicate 
the public interest, assess a civil penalty against 
the abortion provider in an amount— 
(i) not less than $100,000 and not 
more than $150,000, for each such viola-
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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. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed to prohibit an abortion provider from 
presenting the information required under subsection (a) 
to a pregnant woman at the same time as acquiring in-
formed consent for an abortion from such woman in ac-
cordance with State law, provided that the presentation 
of such information occurs at least 24 hours before the 
abortion. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ABORTION.—The term ‘‘abortion’’ means 
the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, 
drug, or any other substance or device— 
(A) to intentionally kill the unborn child of 
a woman known to be pregnant; or 
(B) to intentionally terminate the preg-
nancy of a woman known to be pregnant, with 
an intention other than— 
(i) after viability to produce a live 
birth and preserve the life and health of 
the child born alive; or 
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(ii) to remove a dead unborn child. 
(2) ABORTION PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘abortion 
provider’’ means a person— 
(A) licensed to practice medicine and sur-
gery or osteopathic medicine and surgery; or 
(B) otherwise legally authorized to perform 
an abortion. 
(3) ATTEMPT.—The term ‘‘attempt’’, with re-
spect to an abortion, means conduct that, under the 
circumstances as the actor believes them to be, con-
stitutes a substantial step in a course of conduct 
planned to culminate in performing an abortion. 
(4) MINOR.—The term ‘‘minor’’ means an indi-
vidual who has not attained the age of 18 years. 
(5) PERFORM.—The term ‘‘perform’’, with re-
spect to an abortion, includes inducing an abortion 
through a medical or chemical intervention including 
writing a prescription for a drug or device intended 
to result in an abortion. 
(6) REASONABLE
MEDICAL
JUDGMENT.—The 
term ‘‘reasonable medical judgment’’ means a med-
ical judgment that would be made by a reasonably 
prudent abortion provider, knowledgeable about the 
case and the treatment possibilities with respect to 
the medical conditions involved. 
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(7) UNBORN CHILD.—The term ‘‘unborn child’’ 
means an individual organism of the species homo 
sapiens, beginning at fertilization, until the point of 
being born alive as defined in section 8(b) of title 1, 
United States Code. 
(8) WOMAN.—The term ‘‘woman’’ means a fe-
male human being whether or not she has reached 
the age of majority. 
Æ 
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