HR 634 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

Latest action · Jan 25, 2019 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. IntroducedJan 17, 2019
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

This bill requires abortion providers to conduct an ultrasound before performing an abortion. Specifically, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, the abortion provider must (1) perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman; (2) provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting; (3) display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them; and (4) provide a complete medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable. Providers are subject to civil actions and penalties for violations.

The bill's ultrasound requirements do not apply in cases where a physical disorder, illness, or injury caused by the pregnancy endangers a woman's life. A woman is also not required to view the ultrasound images; nor may she or the provider be penalized if she declines to do so.

Cosponsors 18

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 17, 2019 to Feb 28, 2019; 14 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-WVAlexander X. MooneyOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-AZAndy BiggsOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-MDAndy HarrisOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-TNDavid P. RoeOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-WIGlenn GrothmanOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-GAJody B. HiceOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-NCMark MeadowsOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-AZPaul A. GosarOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-SCRalph NormanOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-TXRandy K. Weber, Sr.OriginalJan 17, 2019
R-OHRobert E. LattaOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-PAScott PerryOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-MOVicky HartzlerOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-NCWalter B. JonesOriginalJan 17, 2019
R-TNDavid KustoffJan 23, 2019
R-OHJim JordanJan 23, 2019
R-INJim BanksFeb 28, 2019
R-KSRon EstesFeb 28, 2019

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Jan 17, 2019
Health Subcommittee
Referred Jan 25, 2019

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 25, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  2. Jan 17, 2019Introduced in House
  3. Jan 17, 2019Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In the Congressional Record 1

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseLists H719–H721H.R. 634–688—Jan 17, 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

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Amendment V, Section 1--the ``Due Process'' clause protects any life from being taken without due process of law; this legislation provides unborn citizens a modicum of due process.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 10, January 17, 2019, page H719.

Related bills 1

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 648Ultrasound Informed Consent ActReintroduced BillFeb 2, 2021

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To ensure that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review the ultrasound before giving informed consent to receive an abortion.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 17, 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.