HR 784 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

Introduced Jan 24, 2019 Originated House Sponsor Christopher H. Smith R-NJ

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Mar 5, 2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

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 24, 2019
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

This bill establishes a new criminal offense for performing or attempting to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more.

A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.

The bill provides exceptions for an abortion (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements.

A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.

Cosponsors 178

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 24, 2019 to Dec 18, 2020; 106 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-GAA. Drew Ferguson IVOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NEAdrian SmithOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WVAlexander X. MooneyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-KYAndy BarrOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-AZAndy BiggsOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MDAndy HarrisOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MOAnn WagnerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-GAAustin ScottOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-GABarry LoudermilkOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXBill FloresOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MIBill HuizengaOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-FLBill PoseyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OHBob GibbsOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OHBrad R. WenstrupOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-KYBrett GuthrieOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXBrian BabinOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-ARBruce WestermanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WVCarol D. MillerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WACathy McMorris RodgersOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXChip RoyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-UTChris StewartOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-LAClay HigginsOriginalJan 24, 2019
D-ILDaniel LipinskiOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-PADaniel MeuserOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-ILDarin LaHoodOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WVDavid B. McKinleyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TNDavid KustoffOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TNDavid P. RoeOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCDavid RouzerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-AZDebbie LeskoOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NEDon BaconOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-GADoug CollinsOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-CADoug LaMalfaOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-CODoug LambornOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-CADuncan HunterOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-GAEarl L. "Buddy" CarterOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-AREric A. "Rick" CrawfordOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-FLFrancis RooneyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-ALGary J. PalmerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCGeorge HoldingOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WIGlenn GrothmanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-PAGlenn ThompsonOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MTGreg GianforteOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-FLGus M. BilirakisOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-PAGuy ReschenthalerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-VAH. Morgan GriffithOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-ARJ. French HillOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MIJack BergmanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-INJackie WalorskiOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WAJaime Herrera BeutlerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MOJason SmithOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-SCJeff DuncanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NEJeff FortenberryOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-INJim BanksOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OHJim JordanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXJodey C. ArringtonOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-GAJody B. HiceOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-SCJoe WilsonOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-FLJohn H. RutherfordOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXJohn RatcliffeOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-ILJohn ShimkusOriginalJan 24, 2019
I-MIJustin AmashOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXK. Michael ConawayOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-COKen BuckOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXKenny MarchantOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXKevin BradyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NYLee M. ZeldinOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WYLiz CheneyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-PALloyd SmuckerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCMark MeadowsOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCMark WalkerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-FLMatt GaetzOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXMichael CloudOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-IDMichael K. SimpsonOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-PAMike KellyOriginalJan 24, 2019
I-MIPaul MitchellOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXPete OlsonOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-SCRalph NormanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCRichard HudsonOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-GARick W. AllenOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-UTRob BishopOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OHRobert E. LattaOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-VARobert J. WittmanOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-ILRodney DavisOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-KSRoger MarshallOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXRoger WilliamsOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-KSRon EstesOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MOSam GravesOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-PAScott PerryOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-WISean P. DuffyOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-LASteve ScaliseOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OHSteve StiversOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-KSSteve WatkinsOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MSSteven M. PalazzoOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCTed BuddOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-FLTed S. YohoOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-KYThomas MassieOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MITim WalbergOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OKTom ColeOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MNTom EmmerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-TXVan TaylorOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-MOVicky HartzlerOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCVirginia FoxxOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-NCWalter B. JonesOriginalJan 24, 2019
R-OHAnthony GonzalezJan 30, 2019
R-FLDaniel WebsterJan 30, 2019
R-OHDavid P. JoyceJan 30, 2019
R-KYJames ComerJan 30, 2019
R-PAJohn JoyceJan 30, 2019
R-TXJohn R. CarterJan 30, 2019
R-OKMarkwayne MullinJan 30, 2019
R-TXRon WrightJan 30, 2019
R-OHSteve ChabotJan 30, 2019
R-IASteve KingJan 30, 2019
R-OHBill JohnsonFeb 4, 2019
R-ALBradley ByrneFeb 4, 2019
R-OHMichael R. TurnerFeb 4, 2019
R-ALMo BrooksFeb 8, 2019
R-TXRandy K. Weber, Sr.Feb 8, 2019
R-ALRobert B. AderholtFeb 8, 2019
R-SCTom RiceFeb 8, 2019
R-FLBrian J. MastFeb 13, 2019
R-INGreg PenceFeb 13, 2019
R-WIMike GallagherFeb 13, 2019
R-ARSteve WomackFeb 13, 2019
R-TNTim BurchettFeb 13, 2019
R-SCWilliam R. Timmons IVFeb 13, 2019
R-SDDusty JohnsonFeb 22, 2019
R-KYHarold RogersFeb 22, 2019
R-NDKelly ArmstrongFeb 22, 2019
R-MNPete StauberFeb 22, 2019
R-ALMartha RobyFeb 26, 2019
R-GATom GravesMar 5, 2019
R-FLW. Gregory SteubeMar 12, 2019
R-INTrey HollingsworthMar 26, 2019
R-INLarry BucshonMar 27, 2019
R-TXLance GoodenMar 28, 2019
R-PAFred KellerAug 16, 2019
R-MOBilly LongNov 14, 2019
R-MIJohn R. MoolenaarNov 14, 2019
R-OKKevin HernNov 14, 2019
R-TNMark E. GreenNov 14, 2019
R-FLNeal P. DunnNov 14, 2019
R-CATom McClintockNov 14, 2019
R-LAMike JohnsonNov 18, 2019
R-NCGregory F. MurphyNov 19, 2019
R-INJames R. BairdNov 19, 2019
R-IDRuss FulcherNov 19, 2019
R-VABen ClineNov 20, 2019
R-ILMike BostDec 3, 2019
R-WIBryan SteilDec 4, 2019
R-WADan NewhouseDec 6, 2019
R-TNCharles J. "Chuck" FleischmannDec 17, 2019
R-VADenver RigglemanDec 17, 2019
R-LAGarret GravesDec 17, 2019
R-CAKevin McCarthyDec 17, 2019
R-TXMichael C. BurgessDec 17, 2019
R-NCPatrick T. McHenryDec 17, 2019
R-OHWarren DavidsonDec 17, 2019
R-AZDavid SchweikertDec 18, 2019
R-TXLouie GohmertDec 18, 2019
R-FLMichael WaltzDec 18, 2019
R-ILAdam KinzingerDec 19, 2019
R-MNJim HagedornDec 19, 2019
R-TNJohn W. RoseDec 19, 2019
R-FLRoss SpanoDec 23, 2019
R-COScott R. TiptonDec 23, 2019
R-MSMichael GuestDec 30, 2019
R-NCDan BishopJan 3, 2020
D-MNCollin C. PetersonJan 30, 2020
R-NYElise M. StefanikMar 12, 2020
R-TXDan CrenshawSep 15, 2020
R-NYChris JacobsSep 17, 2020
R-OKFrank D. LucasNov 17, 2020
R-NYTom ReedNov 30, 2020
R-TXMichael T. McCaulDec 18, 2020

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Jan 24, 2019
Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee
Referred Mar 5, 2019

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Mar 5, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
  2. Jan 24, 2019Introduced in House
  3. Jan 24, 2019Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseDebate and remarks H288Andy Biggs R-AZJan 15, 2020
HouseDebate and remarks H2909Christopher H. Smith R-NJMar 28, 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: The constitutional authority on which this bill is based is Congress's power under the Commerce Clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution and under the Constitution's grants of powers to Congress under the Equal Protection, Due Process, and Enforcement Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 15, January 24, 2019, page H1213.

Related bills 3

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 160Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection ActRelated billApr 9, 2019
HR 1080Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection ActReintroduced BillApr 28, 2021
S 3275Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection ActRelated billFeb 25, 2020

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 protect pain-capable unborn children, and for other purposes.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection 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. Jan 24, 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.