Heartbeat Protection Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 705 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit abortion in cases where a fetal heartbeat is detectable. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 2, 2021 Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. JOYCE of Penn- sylvania, Mr. PERRY, Mr. KELLER, Mr. MOONEY, Mr. BUDD, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. LONG, Mr. DUN- CAN, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. RESCHENTHALER, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. PALMER, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. DUNN, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. BABIN, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. COLE, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. LATTA, Mr. BANKS, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. KUSTOFF, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. HUIZENGA, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. BACON, Mr. HUDSON, and Mr. MAST) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit abortion in cases where a fetal heartbeat is detectable. 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 ‘‘Heartbeat Protection 4 Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:09 Feb 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H705.IH H705 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 705 IH SEC. 2. ABORTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT A CHECK FOR 1 FETAL HEARTBEAT, OR IF A FETAL HEART- 2 BEAT IS DETECTABLE. 3 (a) ABORTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT A CHECK 4 FOR FETAL HEARTBEAT, OR IF A FETAL HEARTBEAT IS 5 DETECTABLE.—Chapter 74 of title 18, United States 6 Code, is amended— 7 (1) in the chapter heading, by striking ‘‘PAR- 8 TIAL-BIRTH’’; 9 (2) by inserting after section 1531 the fol- 10 lowing: 11 ‘‘§ 1532. Abortions prohibited without a check for 12 fetal heartbeat, or if a fetal heartbeat is 13 detectable 14 ‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Any physician who knowingly per- 15 forms an abortion and thereby kills a human fetus— 16 ‘‘(1) without determining, according to stand- 17 ard medical practice, whether the fetus has a detect- 18 able heartbeat; 19 ‘‘(2) without informing the mother of the re- 20 sults of that determination; or 21 ‘‘(3) after determining, according to standard 22 medical practice, that the fetus has a detectable 23 heartbeat, 24 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 25 5 years, or both. This subsection does not apply to an 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:09 Feb 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H705.IH H705 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 705 IH abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother 1 whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical 2 illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering 3 physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy 4 itself, but not including psychological or emotional condi- 5 tions. 6 ‘‘(b) DEFENDANT MAY SEEK HEARING.—A defend- 7 ant indicted for an offense under this section may seek 8 a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the 9 physician’s conduct was necessary to save the life of the 10 mother whose life was endangered by a physical disorder, 11 physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endan- 12 gering physical condition caused by or arising from the 13 pregnancy itself, but not including psychological or emo- 14 tional conditions. The findings on that issue are admissible 15 on that issue at the trial of the defendant. Upon a motion 16 of the defendant, the court shall delay the beginning of 17 the trial for not more than 30 days to permit such a hear- 18 ing to take place. 19 ‘‘(c) NO LIABILITY FOR THE MOTHER ON WHOM 20 ABORTION IS PERFORMED.—A mother upon whom an 21 abortion is performed may not be prosecuted under this 22 section, for a conspiracy to violate this section, or for an 23 offense under section 2, 3, or 4 of this title based on a 24 violation of this section. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:09 Feb 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H705.IH H705 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 705 IH ‘‘(d) REQUIREMENT FOR DATA RETENTION.—The 1 physician shall include in the medical file of the mother 2 documentation of the determination, according to stand- 3 ard medical practice, of whether the fetus has a detectable 4 heartbeat, the results of that determination, notification 5 of the mother of those results, and any information en- 6 tered into evidence in any proceedings under subsection 7 (b). Paragraph (j)(2) of section 164.530 of title 45, Code 8 of Federal Regulations, shall apply to such documentation. 9 ‘‘(e) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this section 10 or the application of such provision to any person or cir- 11 cumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of this sec- 12 tion and the application of the provisions of the remainder 13 to any person or circumstance shall not be affected there- 14 by.’’; and 15 (3) in the table of sections, by inserting after 16 the item pertaining to section 1841 the following: 17 ‘‘1532. Abortions prohibited without a check for fetal heartbeat, or if a fetal heartbeat is detectable.’’. (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 18 for part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended, 19 in the item relating to chapter 74, to read as follows: 20 ‘‘74. Abortions .......................................................................................... 1531’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:09 Feb 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H705.IH H705 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS