Title: Stop Online Suicide Assistance Forums Act
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Stop Online Suicide Assistance Forums Act
This bill establishes a new federal criminal offense for using the mail or interstate communication to intentionally assist another individual in taking that individual's own life. The bill imposes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both—for an offense results in death.
The bill provides that any action taken in accordance with state laws governing physician-assisted end of life shall not constitute an offense.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9260 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9260

  To prohibit the use of mail or interstate communications to assist 
                    suicide, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 31, 2022

   Mrs. Trahan (for herself, Mr. Carey, Mr. Stewart, and Ms. Porter) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit the use of mail or interstate communications to assist 
                    suicide, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Online Suicide Assistance 
Forums Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ASSISTED SUICIDE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 51 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1123. Prohibiting assisted suicide through certain 
              communications
    ``(a) In General.--Whoever uses mail or interstate communication to 
intentionally assist another individual in taking that individual's own 
life, and death results, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 
not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(b) Limitation.--Any action taken in accordance with State laws 
governing physician-assisted end of life shall not constitute an 
offense under subsection (a).
    ``(c) Rules of Construction.--
            ``(1) State laws.--Nothing in this section shall preempt 
        the authority of a State to enact laws relating to assisted 
        suicide within such State.
            ``(2) Suicide.--Nothing in this section shall be 
        interpreted to make unlawful or otherwise criminalize the act 
        of suicide or deliberate self-injury, or punish the person 
        committing any such act.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Assist.--The term `assist' means, with respect to a 
        person assisting another individual in taking that individual's 
        own life, that--
                    ``(A) the person specifically aims to facilitate 
                the individual's suicide; and
                    ``(B) the person furnishes the individual with 
                substantial material support to facilitate the suicide, 
                or with substantial communication facilitating the 
                suicide at the same time as an attempt or act of 
                suicide is occurring.
            ``(2) Material support.--The term `material support' means 
        any tangible property.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of section for chapter 51 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``1123. Prohibiting assisted suicide through certain communications.''.
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