Dignity for Aborted Children Act

Bill: 119-s-242
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
Introduced: 2025-01-24
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion

Cemeteries and funerals

Census and government statistics

Civil actions and liability

Congressional oversight

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Health information and medical records

Health personnel
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-24
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Dignity for Aborted Children Act</strong></p><p>This bill establishes&nbsp;requirements for abortion providers with respect to&nbsp;the disposal of human fetal tissue from an abortion.</p><p>Specifically, it requires abortion providers to obtain a patient's informed consent for one of two specified methods of disposition and to retain the corresponding documentation in the patient's file.</p><p>First, patients may choose to retain possession of the tissue. A patient may choose to transfer the tissue to an entity that provides interment or cremation services.</p><p>Second, patients may choose to release the tissue to the provider. Providers must ensure any tissue released to them is interred or cremated within seven days of the procedure in a manner consistent with state law regarding the disposal of human remains.</p><p>Abortion providers must submit reports annually to the Department of Health and Human Services about these requirements and other specified information.</p><p>The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of the requirement to retain documentation of informed consent,&nbsp;and it establishes&nbsp;criminal penalties for violations of the&nbsp;requirement regarding the disposal of human fetal tissue.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 242 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 24, 2025 Mr. Ricketts (for himself, Mr. Lankford , Mr. Sheehy , Mr. Banks , Mr. Daines , Mr. Risch , Mr. Rounds , Mr. Wicker , Mr. Schmitt , Mr. Justice , Mr. Tillis , and Mr. Hawley ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To protect the dignity of fetal remains, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Dignity for Aborted Children Act . 2. Constitutional authority Congress enacts the following pursuant to Congress’ power under— (1) the Interstate Commerce Clause of section 8 of article I of the Constitution; (2) section 5 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, including the power to enforce the prohibition on government action denying equal protection of the laws; and (3) section 8 of article I of the Constitution of the United States to make all laws necessary and proper for the carrying into execution of powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States. 3. Protection of fetal remains (a) In general Part H of title IV of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 289 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 498F. Protection of fetal remains (a) Consent requirement (1) In general Any abortion provider, after performing an abortion, shall provide the patient with an informed consent form, offering the patient the following options for disposal of the human fetal tissue from the abortion: (A) The patient may take possession of the human fetal tissue and may choose to transfer the tissue to an entity providing interment or cremation services. (B) The patient may elect to release the human fetal tissue to the abortion provider, who shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (b). (2) Consent requirements An abortion provider described in paragraph (1) shall— (A) obtain a patient signature on each consent form required under paragraph (1); and (B) retain each such form in the patient's file. (b) Provider disposal requirement It shall be unlawful for any abortion provider who, after performing an abortion in which the woman on whom the abortion was performed elects, pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(B), to release the human fetal tissue to the abortion provider, to fail to provide for the final disposition of the human fetal tissue through interment or cremation, consistent with State law regarding the disposal of human remains, not later than 7 days after the date on which the abortion procedure was performed. Such final disposition of human fetal tissue may be carried out through interment or cremation of tissue from more than one abortion procedure collectively. (c) Penalties (1) Informed consent violations An abortion provider who fails to maintain the documentation required under subsection (a)(2)(B) shall be subject to civil monetary penalties in an amount not to exceed $50,000. (2) Disposal violations Any abortion provider who violates subsection (b) shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both. (3) Bar to prosecution A patient upon whom an abortion in violation of subsection (b) is performed or attempted may not be prosecuted under, or for a conspiracy to violate, paragraph (1), or for an offense under section 2, 3, or 4 of title 18, United States Code, based on such a violation. (d) Reporting Each abortion provider described in subsection (a)(1) shall submit annual reports to the Secretary indicating, with respect to the reporting period— (1) the aggregate number of abortion procedures performed by such abortion provider; (2) the gestational age at the time of each such procedure; and (3) for abortions carried out using an abortion method other than chemical abortion, the aggregate number of fetal remains transferred for interment or cremation and the number released to patients. (e) Annual reports by the Secretary The Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual report on the number of abortions by State, procedure type, and method of disposal of human fetal tissue. (f) Non-Preemption Nothing in this section shall preempt any State requirement that, at a minimum, requires interment or cremation in the same manner that other human remains are required to be treated in such State. (g) Definitions In this section— (1) 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 pregnancy 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 (ii) to remove a dead unborn child; (2) the term abortion provider means an individual or entity that performs abortions; and (3) the term human fetal tissue has the meaning given the term in section 498A(g). .