S 3 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003

Introduced Feb 14, 2003 Originated Senate Sponsor Rick Santorum R-PA

Fact sheet

Latest action · Nov 5, 2003 Became Public Law No: 108-105.

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. IntroducedFeb 14, 2003
  2. Passed SenateMar 13, 2003
  3. Passed HouseJun 4, 2003
  4. To the PresidentOct 28, 2003
  5. Became lawNov 5, 2003

Summary

(This measure has not been amended since the Conference Report was filed in the House on September 30, 2003. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any physician or other individual from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion, except when necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury.

Defines a "partial-birth abortion" as an abortion in which the person performing the abortion: (1) deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, in the case of a head-first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the mother's body, or, in the case of a breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the mother's body; and (2) performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially delivered living fetus.

Authorizes the father, if married to the mother at the time of the abortion, and the maternal grandparents of the fetus, if the mother is under 18 years of age, to obtain specified relief in a civil action, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion.

Authorizes a defendant accused of an offense under this Act to seek a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother.

Prohibits the prosecution of a woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed for conspiracy to violate this Act or under provisions regarding punishment as a principal or an accessory or for concealment of a felony.

Recorded votes 5

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
Senate 402Conference Report Agreed to64–34Oct 21, 2003
House 530Passed281–142Oct 2, 2003
Senate 351Motion Agreed to93–0Sep 17, 2003
Senate 51Bill Passed64–33Mar 13, 2003
Senate 47Motion Rejected42–56Mar 12, 2003

Cosponsors 45

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 14, 2003 to Mar 11, 2003, with 38 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-COBen Nighthorse CampbellOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-MOChristopher S. BondOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-IAChuck GrassleyOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-NEChuck HagelOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-WYCraig ThomasOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-OKDon NicklesOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-NCElizabeth DoleOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-VAGeorge AllenOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-OHGeorge V. VoinovichOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-ORGordon H. SmithOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-OKJames M. InhofeOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-ALJeff SessionsOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-KYJim BunningOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-MOJim TalentOriginalFeb 14, 2003
R-TXJohn CornynOriginalFeb 14, 2003
Show all 45 cosponsors

Actions 56

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Nov 5, 2003Became Public Law No: 108-105.
  2. Nov 5, 2003Signed by President.
  3. Oct 28, 2003Presented to President.
  4. Oct 22, 2003Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Oct 21, 2003Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 64 - 34. Record Vote Number: 402.
Show all 56 actions

Related bills 2

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HRES 383Waiving points of order against the conference report to accompany the bill (S. 3) to prohibit the procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion.Procedurally relatedOct 2, 2003
HR 760Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003Procedurally relatedJun 4, 2003

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

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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.