Heartbeat Protection Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 490 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit abortion in cases where a fetal heartbeat is detectable. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 11, 2019 Mr. KING of Iowa (for himself, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. DAVIDSON of Ohio, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. PALMER, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. YOHO, Mr. MAR- SHALL, Mr. JONES, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. WEBSTER of Flor- ida, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. LONG, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. HILL of Arkansas, Mr. CLOUD, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. BANKS, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. PERRY, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. CARTER of Texas, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. KUSTOFF of Tennessee, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. OLSON, Mr. HUIZENGA, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. LATTA, Mr. ARRINGTON, Mr. BABIN, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. EMMER, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. WALKER, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. BACON, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. RATCLIFFE, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. ESTES, Mr. GIANFORTE, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. HOLDING, Mr. BUDD, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. LAHOOD, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. DUNN, and Mr. CARTER of Georgia) introduced the following 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:00 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H490.IH H490 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 490 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Heartbeat Protection 2 Act of 2019’’. 3 SEC. 2. ABORTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT A CHECK FOR 4 FETAL HEARTBEAT, OR IF A FETAL HEART- 5 BEAT IS DETECTABLE. 6 (a) ABORTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT A CHECK 7 FOR FETAL HEARTBEAT, OR IF A FETAL HEARTBEAT IS 8 DETECTABLE.—Chapter 74 of title 18, United States 9 Code, is amended— 10 (1) in the chapter heading, by striking ‘‘PAR- 11 TIAL-BIRTH’’; 12 (2) by inserting after section 1531 the fol- 13 lowing: 14 ‘‘§ 1532. Abortions prohibited without a check for 15 fetal heartbeat, or if a fetal heartbeat is 16 detectable 17 ‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Any physician who knowingly per- 18 forms an abortion and thereby kills a human fetus— 19 ‘‘(1) without determining, according to stand- 20 ard medical practice, whether the fetus has a detect- 21 able heartbeat; 22 ‘‘(2) without informing the mother of the re- 23 sults of that determination; or 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:00 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H490.IH H490 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 490 IH ‘‘(3) after determining, according to standard 1 medical practice, that the fetus has a detectable 2 heartbeat, 3 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 4 5 years, or both. This subsection does not apply to an 5 abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother 6 whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical 7 illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering 8 physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy 9 itself, but not including psychological or emotional condi- 10 tions. 11 ‘‘(b) DEFENDANT MAY SEEK HEARING.—A defend- 12 ant indicted for an offense under this section may seek 13 a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the 14 physician’s conduct was necessary to save the life of the 15 mother whose life was endangered by a physical disorder, 16 physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endan- 17 gering physical condition caused by or arising from the 18 pregnancy itself, but not including psychological or emo- 19 tional conditions. The findings on that issue are admissible 20 on that issue at the trial of the defendant. Upon a motion 21 of the defendant, the court shall delay the beginning of 22 the trial for not more than 30 days to permit such a hear- 23 ing to take place. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:00 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H490.IH H490 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 490 IH ‘‘(c) NO LIABILITY FOR THE MOTHER ON WHOM 1 ABORTION IS PERFORMED.—A mother upon whom an 2 abortion is performed may not be prosecuted under this 3 section, for a conspiracy to violate this section, or for an 4 offense under section 2, 3, or 4 of this title based on a 5 violation of this section. 6 ‘‘(d) REQUIREMENT FOR DATA RETENTION.—The 7 physician shall include in the medical file of the mother 8 documentation of the determination, according to stand- 9 ard medical practice, of whether the fetus has a detectable 10 heartbeat, the results of that determination, notification 11 of the mother of those results, and any information en- 12 tered into evidence in any proceedings under subsection 13 (b). Paragraph (j)(2) of section 164.530 of title 45, Code 14 of Federal Regulations, shall apply to such documentation. 15 ‘‘(e) SEVERABILITY.—If any provision of this section 16 or the application of such provision to any person or cir- 17 cumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of this sec- 18 tion and the application of the provisions of the remainder 19 to any person or circumstance shall not be affected there- 20 by.’’; and 21 (3) in the table of sections, by inserting after 22 the item pertaining to section 1841 the following: 23 ‘‘1532. Abortions prohibited without a check for fetal heartbeat, or if a fetal heartbeat is detectable.’’. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:00 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H490.IH H490 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 490 IH (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 1 for part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended, 2 in the item relating to chapter 74, to read as follows: 3 ‘‘74. Abortions .......................................................................................... 1531’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:00 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H490.IH H490 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS