HR 956 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Saving Children Act

Introduced Feb 4, 2019 Originated House Sponsor Debbie Lesko R-AZ

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Mar 22, 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. IntroducedFeb 4, 2019
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Saving Children Act

This bill establishes a new criminal offense that prohibits a physician from knowingly performing a dismemberment abortion. It provides a definition of the term "dismemberment abortion."

A physician who performs a dismemberment abortion is subject to a criminal fine, up to two years in prison, or both, unless the dismemberment abortion was necessary to save the mother's life.

A woman or a parent of a minor who undergoes a dismemberment abortion may file a civil action for damages against an individual who violates this bill.

The legislation bars the criminal prosecution of a woman who undergoes a dismemberment abortion for conspiracy to violate the provisions of this bill, for being a principal or an accessory after the fact, or for concealing a dismemberment abortion.

Cosponsors 43

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 4, 2019 to Oct 9, 2020; 17 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-WVAlexander X. MooneyOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-AZAndy BiggsOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-GABarry LoudermilkOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-OHBob GibbsOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-NJChristopher H. SmithOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-CODoug LambornOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-WIGlenn GrothmanOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-PAJohn JoyceOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-FLMatt GaetzOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-LAMike JohnsonOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-LARalph Lee AbrahamOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-SCRalph NormanOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-TXRandy K. Weber, Sr.OriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-GARick W. AllenOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-FLRoss SpanoOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-OHSteve ChabotOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-MOVicky HartzlerOriginalFeb 4, 2019
R-TXBill FloresFeb 5, 2019
R-GAJody B. HiceFeb 5, 2019
R-PAMike KellyFeb 5, 2019
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerFeb 6, 2019
R-NCRichard HudsonFeb 8, 2019
R-UTChris StewartFeb 11, 2019
R-SCJeff DuncanFeb 11, 2019
R-NCMark MeadowsFeb 11, 2019
R-AZPaul A. GosarFeb 11, 2019
R-NCTed BuddFeb 11, 2019
R-MSTrent KellyFeb 11, 2019
R-LAClay HigginsFeb 14, 2019
R-ALGary J. PalmerFeb 14, 2019
R-INJim BanksFeb 14, 2019
R-COKen BuckFeb 14, 2019
R-TXPete OlsonFeb 14, 2019
R-TXRon WrightFeb 14, 2019
R-GAEarl L. "Buddy" CarterFeb 19, 2019
R-TXBrian BabinFeb 25, 2019
R-OHJim JordanMar 5, 2019
R-OKKevin HernMar 5, 2019
R-PALloyd SmuckerMar 7, 2019
R-TXLance GoodenApr 1, 2019
R-INJackie WalorskiMay 1, 2019
R-LASteve ScaliseMay 10, 2019
R-GADoug CollinsOct 9, 2020

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Feb 4, 2019
Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Referred Mar 22, 2019

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Mar 22, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
  2. Feb 4, 2019Introduced in House
  3. Feb 4, 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: Congress has the authority to protect unborn children under the Supreme Court's Commerce Clause precedents and under the Constitution's grants of power 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. 21, February 4, 2019, page H1350.

Related bills 2

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 558Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2021Reintroduced BillMar 5, 2021
S 1035Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2019Related billApr 4, 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 dismemberment abortions, and for other purposes.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Saving Children 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. Feb 4, 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.