HR 4420 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2004

Introduced May 20, 2004 Originated House Sponsor Christopher H. Smith R-NJ

Fact sheet

Latest action · Jun 7, 2004 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedMay 20, 2004
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider, before beginning any abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks after fertilization), to: (1) make a specified statement to the pregnant woman that Congress has determined that there is substantial evidence that the process will cause the unborn child pain, and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt) and an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form; and (3) obtain on the form the woman's signature and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop the brochure and form.

Makes such provisions inapplicable to a provider in the case of a medical emergency. Requires the provider to certify that a medical emergency exists. Sets penalties for false statements.

Establishes penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act, including civil penalties, medical license suspension, or both. Authorizes: (1) specified officials to bring suit in Federal court; and (2) private rights of action by a parent or guardian of a woman who is an unemancipated minor. Requires each State and State medical licensing authority to promulgate procedures for the revocation or suspension of a provider's license upon a court finding that the provider has violated this Act. Subjects a State that fails to implement such procedures to loss of Medicaid funding.

Cosponsors 115

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 20, 2004 to Oct 8, 2004, with 27 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-FLCliff StearnsOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-OKErnest J. Istook Jr.OriginalMay 20, 2004
R-ILHenry J. HydeOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-FLIleana Ros-LehtinenOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-SCJim DeMintOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-KSJim RyunOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-VAJo Ann DavisOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-ILJohn ShimkusOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-PAJoseph R. PittsOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-TXKevin BradyOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-FLLincoln Diaz-BalartOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-GAMac CollinsOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-INMark E. SouderOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-TXMichael C. BurgessOriginalMay 20, 2004
R-INMike PenceOriginalMay 20, 2004
Show all 115 cosponsors

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jun 7, 2004Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. May 20, 2004Introduced in House
  3. May 20, 2004Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  4. May 20, 2004Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 5/21/2004 H3497-3498)

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 2466Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2004Related billJun 3, 2004

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

$1 $5 $10

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.