I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9196 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 30, 2024 Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Mrs. Foushee , Mrs. Peltola , Ms. Lee of California , Ms. Brownley , Ms. Kamlager-Dove , Mrs. Hayes , Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Ms. Williams of Georgia , Ms. Tokuda , Mr. Casten , Mr. Trone , Mrs. Dingell , Ms. Tlaib , Mr. Thanedar , Ms. McCollum , Mrs. Watson Coleman , Ms. Velázquez , Mr. Espaillat , Ms. Ocasio-Cortez , Mr. Davis of North Carolina , Ms. Ross , Ms. Adams , Ms. Bonamici , Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania , Mrs. Fletcher , Ms. Crockett , and Ms. Norton ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To prohibit consideration of pregnancy status when filing for divorce.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pregnancy Empowerment Act of 2024 . 2. Findings Congress finds as follows: (1) Throughout calendar year 2024, national news media reported that several States, in practice, will not finalize a divorce for pregnant people. (2) Many States, in practice, delay, prohibit, or limit divorce until the baby’s delivery, allowing the court to determine paternity status and parental rights. (3) Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity (NIPP) tests can now determine paternal status with blood samples from the mother and alleged father and achieve an accuracy rate of 99.9 percent. (4) Pregnant people are at an increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. (5) Women of color are disproportionately impacted by domestic violence and are more likely to die at the hands of an abuser. (6) Black women are murdered by men at three times the rate of their white counterparts. (7) Black women living with a partner are six times more likely to experience domestic violence. (8) An estimated 324,000 pregnant people experience intimate partner violence in the United States per year. (9) When reported and detected, prevalence of intimate partner violence during pregnancy can range as high as 35 percent. (10) Reproductive coercion can prevent women in abusive marriages from finalizing a divorce, keeping women in abusive relationships. (11) One in 6 abused women were first abused during pregnancy. (12) Homicide is the second leading cause of traumatic death for pregnant and recently pregnant people, accounting for 31 percent of maternal injury deaths. (13) Women living in poverty are twice as likely to experience intimate partner violence. (14) People experiencing intimate partner violence often rely on the emergency room due to financial concerns and coercion and control from their abusers. (15) Divorce has a profound economic impact, often implicating interstate commerce and assets. (16) The median American divorce costs $7,000 and the average American divorce costs $15,000. (17) Contested divorces involving child custody debate can cost over $100,000. (18) Of the $27.4 billion reported by the FY 2022 Office of Child Support Services Preliminary Data Report, $1.4 billion came from interstate cases. (19) Divorces dissolve many financial assets, many of which may cross State lines, including— (A) real estate; (B) outstanding debts; (C) investments; (D) retirement savings; (E) property; and (F) business interests. (20) Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution provides Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. 3. Prohibition against consideration of pregnancy status when filing for divorce No State may take pregnancy status into consideration when considering the filing of a petition for divorce.