Heartbeat Protection Act of 2019
Latest action · Jan 11, 2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
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 11, 2019
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Heartbeat Protection Act of 2019
This bill makes it a crime for a physician to knowingly perform an abortion (1) without determining whether the fetus has a detectable heartbeat, (2) without informing the mother of the results, or (3) after determining that a fetus has a detectable heartbeat.
It provides an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical (but not psychological or emotional) disorder, illness, or condition.
A physician who performs a prohibited abortion is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
Cosponsors 101
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 11, 2019 to Feb 21, 2020; 72 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NE | Adrian Smith | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-WV | Alexander X. Mooney | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-AZ | Andy Biggs | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-MD | Andy Harris | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-MO | Ann Wagner | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-GA | Austin Scott | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-MI | Bill Huizenga | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-MO | Billy Long | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-OH | Bob Gibbs | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-AL | Bradley Byrne | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-KY | Brett Guthrie | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-TX | Brian Babin | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-AR | Bruce Westerman | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
| R-LA | Clay Higgins | Original | Jan 11, 2019 |
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 11, 2019 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Jan 11, 2019 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 11, 2019Introduced in House
- Jan 11, 2019Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Jan 11, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H288, H292 | Andy Biggs R-AZ, Steve King R-IA | Jan 15, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1558 | Joe Wilson R-SC | Feb 13, 2019 |
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. 165, no. 6, January 11, 2019, page H519.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 490 | Heartbeat Protection Act of 2017 | Reintroduction of | Feb 6, 2017 |
| HR 3985 | Every New Heart Deserves a Chance Act of 2019 | Related bill | Sep 25, 2019 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit abortion in cases where a fetal heartbeat is detectable.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Heartbeat Protection Act of 2019
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 11, 2019Introduced 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.
