Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2017
Latest action · Jan 23, 2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
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.
- IntroducedJan 3, 2017
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2017
This bill imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child, or the race of a parent; (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion; (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion.
Violations or attempted violations shall result in fines and/or imprisonment for up to five years.
The bill authorizes civil actions (for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages) by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; or (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion.To prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this bill, the bill authorizes injunctive relief to be obtained by: (1) the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, (2) a maternal grandparent of the unborn child if the woman is an unemancipated minor, (3) the father of such an unborn child, or (4) the Department of Justice.
Violations of this bill are deemed to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.)
Medical or mental health professionals must report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Criminal penalties are established for a failure to so report.
A woman having such an abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.
Courts must make such orders as necessary to protect the anonymity of any woman upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted if she does not give her written consent to such disclosure. In the absence of such a woman's written consent, any party, other than a public official, who brings an action must use a pseudonym.
For purposes of this bill, "abortion" is defined as the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child, unless the act is intended to: (1) save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, (2) remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or (3) remove an ectopic pregnancy.
Cosponsors 65
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 10, 2017 to Oct 4, 2017.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-WV | Alexander X. Mooney | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MO | Ann Wagner | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Bill Flores | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MI | Bill Huizenga | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Bill Johnson | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Blake Farenthold | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Bob Gibbs | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-AL | Bradley Byrne | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-NJ | Christopher H. Smith | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-NC | David Rouzer | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TN | Diane Black | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-AL | Gary J. Palmer | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-WI | Glenn Grothman | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MO | Jason Smith | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-SC | Jeff Duncan | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-IN | Jim Banks | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-GA | Jody B. Hice | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MI | John R. Moolenaar | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-PA | Keith J. Rothfus | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Kenny Marchant | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Louie Gohmert | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-IN | Luke Messer | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-OK | Markwayne Mullin | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TN | Marsha Blackburn | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-PA | Mike Kelly | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Patrick J. Tiberi | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-AZ | Paul A. Gosar | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Pete Olson | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-IL | Peter J. Roskam | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-LA | Ralph Lee Abraham | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-AL | Robert B. Aderholt | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Robert E. Latta | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MO | Sam Graves | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-WI | Sean P. Duffy | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-IA | Steve King | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MI | Tim Walberg | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-MS | Trent Kelly | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-NC | Walter B. Jones | Jan 10, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Brian Babin | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-UT | Chris Stewart | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-GA | Doug Collins | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-CO | Doug Lamborn | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-OK | Jim Bridenstine | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-SC | Joe Wilson | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-KS | Kevin Yoder | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Sam Johnson | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-MS | Steven M. Palazzo | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-IN | Todd Rokita | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-MN | Tom Emmer | Jan 13, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Jim Jordan | Jan 24, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Kevin Brady | Jan 24, 2017 | |
| R-FL | Ted S. Yoho | Jan 24, 2017 | |
| R-NY | Chris Collins | Feb 7, 2017 | |
| I-MI | Paul Mitchell | Feb 7, 2017 | |
| R-TX | K. Michael Conaway | Feb 16, 2017 | |
| R-AL | Martha Roby | Mar 1, 2017 | |
| D-IL | Daniel Lipinski | Mar 13, 2017 | |
| R-MO | Vicky Hartzler | Mar 17, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Jodey C. Arrington | Apr 3, 2017 | |
| R-NC | Virginia Foxx | May 3, 2017 | |
| R-VA | Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. | Jul 13, 2017 | |
| R-SC | Ralph Norman | Oct 4, 2017 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jan 3, 2017 |
| Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee | Referred Jan 23, 2017 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 23, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Jan 3, 2017Introduced in House
- Jan 3, 2017Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 1, January 3, 2017, page H50.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4660 | Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2017 | Related bill | Jan 22, 2018 |
| HR 4924 | Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2016 | Reintroduction of | Apr 13, 2016 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To prohibit discrimination against the unborn on the basis of sex or race, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2017
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Abortion
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Civil actions and liability
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Crimes against women
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal justice information and records
- Criminal procedure and sentencing
- Health personnel
- Legal fees and court costs
- Racial and ethnic relations
- Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
- Violent crime
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 3, 2017Introduced in House
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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
