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H.R. 21 · Where this bill is now

In the Senate

Passed the House Jan 23, 2025. Received Jan 24, 2025; no Senate vote yet

What this bill does

In plain words · AI-written from the official summary

Care requirements for babies born during abortion

This bill sets rules for how doctors and other health care workers must treat a baby if the child is born alive during or after an abortion procedure. A health care practitioner present must provide the same level of care as for any other newborn at that stage of development and make sure the baby is immediately taken to a hospital. Anyone who knows a practitioner didn't follow these rules has to report it to law enforcement right away.

How it affects you

If you're a patient seeking an abortion, this bill creates legal obligations for medical staff in the delivery room. Health care workers could face criminal penalties including fines or prison time for not following the care requirements or for failing to report violations. Mothers themselves cannot be prosecuted under this bill, but they could file lawsuits against practitioners or employees who violate it.

Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 3, 2025)

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion.

Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement.

A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.

An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder.

The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.

Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.

119th Congress
1st Session
H. R. 21

AN ACT

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

Passed HouseJan 23, 2025 · 217–204In the SenateNo vote yet

Sponsor: Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 3 versions of the text

Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 24, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”

How Congress voted

Official roll calls

House · On Passage · Jan 23, 2025

Passed 217–204

YesNoPresentDidn’t vote
PartyYesNoPresentDidn’t vote
Democrats120419
Republicans216002

1 member voted against most of their party: 1 Democrats voted Yes.

Source: Clerk of the House · roll call 27

217–204Passed
DemocratsRepublicans

Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.

Sections

The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.

Sections · 3