What This Bill Does
This bill would declare that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution applies to all human beings, including preborn humans. The bill states Congress is using its constitutional powers to implement equal protection under the 14th Amendment. The bill specifically says it does not authorize prosecuting any woman for the death of her unborn child.
Who It Affects
The bill directly affects all human persons as defined by the legislation. It would apply to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories and possessions.
Key Provisions
* The bill declares that the constitutional right to life is vested in each human being (Sec. 2)
* The bill defines "human person" and "human being" to include every member of the human species at all stages of life, starting at the moment of fertilization, cloning, or when an individual member of the human species comes into being (Sec. 3)
* The bill states that the term "State" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. territories and possessions (Sec. 3)
* The bill explicitly states that nothing in the Act authorizes prosecuting any woman for the death of her unborn child (Sec. 2)
What Changes
Not specified in bill text
Important Definitions
The bill defines "human person" and "human being" as including every member of the human species at all stages of life, from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the moment when an individual becomes a member of the human species.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 431
To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the
Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 20, 2023
Mr. MOONEY (for himself, Mr. GOOD of Virginia, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, Mr.
BILIRAKIS, Mrs. MCCLAIN, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. DAVIDSON,
Mr. CLYDE, Mr. BURCHETT, Mr. PFLUGER, Mr. MASSIE, Mrs. MILLER
of West Virginia, Mr. OGLES, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Ms. VAN
DUYNE, Mr. HUNT, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. FEENSTRA, Mr. BISHOP
of North Carolina, Mr. BABIN, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mrs. HARSHBARGER,
Mr. BOST, Mr. RESCHENTHALER, Mrs. FISCHBACH, Mr. ISSA, Mr. ROSE,
Mr. LAHOOD, Mrs. GREENE of Georgia, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. CARL,
Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. BIGGS, Mrs. RODGERS of Wash-
ington, Mr. PERRY, Mr. BALDERSON, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. CLOUD, Mr.
KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana,
Mr. GUEST, Mr. ARRINGTON, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. ESTES, Mr. HIG-
GINS of Louisiana, Mr. ROSENDALE, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. COLLINS,
Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, Mr. SMUCKER, Mr. GOODEN of Texas,
Mr. C. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. JACK-
SON of Texas, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. SELF, Mr.
GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. MANN, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BURLISON, and Mr.
BRECHEEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To implement equal protection under the 14th article of
amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of
each born and preborn human person.
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•HR 431 IH
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Life at Conception
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Act’’.
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SEC. 2. RIGHT TO LIFE.
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To implement equal protection for the right to life
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of each born and preborn human person, and pursuant
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to the duty and authority of the Congress, including Con-
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gress’ power under article I, section 8, to make necessary
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and proper laws, and Congress’ power under section 5 of
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the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the
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United States, the Congress hereby declares that the right
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to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each
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human being. However, nothing in this Act shall be con-
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strued to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the
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death of her unborn child.
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
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For purposes of this Act:
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(1) HUMAN
PERSON;
HUMAN
BEING.—The
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terms ‘‘human person’’ and ‘‘human being’’ include
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each and every member of the species homo sapiens
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at all stages of life, including the moment of fer-
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tilization, cloning, or other moment at which an indi-
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•HR 431 IH
vidual member of the human species comes into
1
being.
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(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ used in the
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14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the
4
United States and other applicable provisions of the
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Constitution includes the District of Columbia, the
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Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each other terri-
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tory or possession of the United States.
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Æ
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