HR 4903 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act

Introduced Oct 29, 2019 Originated House Sponsor Ron Estes R-KS

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Dec 18, 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.

  1. IntroducedOct 29, 2019
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act

This bill creates new federal crimes related to the performance of an abortion on an unborn child who has Down syndrome.

It subjects a violator to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.

It also authorizes civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief.

A woman who undergoes such an abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.

Cosponsors 56

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 29, 2019 to Jul 22, 2020; 32 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-WVAlexander X. MooneyOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-MDAndy HarrisOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-VABen ClineOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TXBrian BabinOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-ARBruce WestermanOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TNCharles J. "Chuck" FleischmannOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TXChip RoyOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-NJChristopher H. SmithOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-CODoug LambornOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-AREric A. "Rick" CrawfordOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-MTGreg GianforteOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-INJim BanksOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-GAJody B. HiceOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-ILJohn ShimkusOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TXKenny MarchantOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TXKevin BradyOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-OKKevin HernOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-NCMark MeadowsOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-FLMatt GaetzOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-LAMike JohnsonOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-MNPete StauberOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-SCRalph NormanOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TXRandy K. Weber, Sr.OriginalOct 29, 2019
R-GARick W. AllenOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-ALRobert B. AderholtOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-OHRobert E. LattaOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-KSRoger MarshallOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-TXRoger WilliamsOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-IASteve KingOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-KSSteve WatkinsOriginalOct 29, 2019
R-MOAnn WagnerNov 5, 2019
R-COKen BuckNov 5, 2019
R-FLRoss SpanoNov 5, 2019
R-NCGregory F. MurphyNov 12, 2019
R-TXK. Michael ConawayNov 12, 2019
R-NCMark WalkerNov 12, 2019
R-OKMarkwayne MullinNov 12, 2019
R-PAMike KellyNov 12, 2019
R-TXRon WrightNov 12, 2019
R-OHSteve ChabotNov 12, 2019
R-WIGlenn GrothmanNov 14, 2019
R-OKTom ColeNov 14, 2019
R-FLBill PoseyNov 21, 2019
R-OHBob GibbsNov 21, 2019
R-MOVicky HartzlerNov 21, 2019
R-OHBrad R. WenstrupDec 6, 2019
R-TXDan CrenshawDec 6, 2019
R-MNTom EmmerDec 6, 2019
R-GAAustin ScottJan 16, 2020
R-TXBill FloresJan 16, 2020
R-MIJohn R. MoolenaarJan 16, 2020
R-TXLance GoodenJan 16, 2020
R-TNMark E. GreenJan 16, 2020
R-FLMichael WaltzJul 22, 2020

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Oct 29, 2019
Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Referred Dec 18, 2019

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Dec 18, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
  2. Oct 29, 2019Introduced in House
  3. Oct 29, 2019Referred 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

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Section 8 of Article I to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested by the Constitution Section 5 of the 14th Amendment

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 171, October 29, 2019, page H8595.

Related bills 2

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 532Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome ActReintroduced BillMar 5, 2021
S 2745Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition ActIdentical billOct 30, 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 discrimination by abortion against an unborn child on the basis of Down syndrome.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Oct 29, 2019Introduced in House

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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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.