Protecting Life in Crisis Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 28 To prohibit the expenditure for an abortion of Federal funds authorized or appropriated for preventing, preparing for, or responding to the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 4, 2021 Mr. BABIN (for himself, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. BERGMAN, Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Mr. BOST, Mr. BUDD, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CLINE, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. DUNN, Mr. FULCHER, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. GARCIA of California, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. GRIF- FITH, Mr. GUEST, Mr. HERN, Mr. HILL, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. HUIZENGA, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. KUSTOFF, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. LONG, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. MEIJER, Mr. MOONEY, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. TIMMONS, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas, and Mr. WILSON of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subse- quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To prohibit the expenditure for an abortion of Federal funds authorized or appropriated for preventing, preparing for, or responding to the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H28.IH H28 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 28 IH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Life in Cri- 4 sis Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING THE EXPENDITURE OF COVID–19 6 FUNDING FOR ANY ABORTION. 7 (a) PROHIBITIONS.— 8 (1) IN GENERAL.—No funds authorized or ap- 9 propriated by Federal law for the purpose of pre- 10 venting, preparing for, or responding to the COVID– 11 19 pandemic, domestically or internationally, and 12 none of the funds in any trust fund to which funds 13 are authorized or appropriated by Federal law for 14 such purpose, shall be expended for any abortion. 15 (2) SPECIFIED HEALTH BENEFITS COV- 16 ERAGE.—None of the funds authorized or appro- 17 priated by Federal law for the purpose described in 18 subsection (a), and none of the funds in any trust 19 fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated 20 by Federal law for such purpose, shall be expended 21 for, nor shall any credit for such purpose be allowed 22 under the internal revenue laws with respect to, cov- 23 erage under a qualified health plan offered through 24 an Exchange established pursuant to title I of the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H28.IH H28 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 28 IH Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 1 COBRA continuation coverage, or any other cov- 2 erage, if such coverage includes coverage of abortion. 3 (3) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 4 ‘‘COBRA continuation coverage’’ means continu- 5 ation coverage provided pursuant to part 6 of sub- 6 title B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income 7 Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1161 et seq.) 8 (other than under section 609 of such Act), title 9 XXII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 10 300bb–1 et seq.), section 4980B of the Internal Rev- 11 enue Code of 1986 (other than subsection (f)(1) of 12 such section insofar as it relates to pediatric vac- 13 cines), or section 8905a of title 5, United States 14 Code, or under a State program that provides com- 15 parable continuation coverage. Such term does not 16 include coverage under a health flexible spending ar- 17 rangement under a cafeteria plan within the mean- 18 ing of section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code of 19 1986. 20 (b) TREATMENT OF ABORTIONS RELATED TO RAPE, 21 INCEST, OR PRESERVING THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.— 22 The limitations established in subsection (a) shall not 23 apply to an abortion— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H28.IH H28 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 28 IH (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of 1 rape or incest; or 2 (2) in the case where a woman suffers from a 3 physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, 4 including a life-endangering physical condition 5 caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that 6 would, as certified by a physician, place the woman 7 in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. 8 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 9 may be construed to require a plan or coverage described 10 in subsection (a) to provide coverage of any abortion. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 11, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H28.IH H28 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS