Protecting Life in Crisis Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6742 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 MAY 8, 2020 Mr. CONAWAY (for himself, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. BABIN, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. DUNN, Mr. BANKS, Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. KELLY of Mis- sissippi, Mr. SPANO, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. TIMMONS, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. BURCHETT, Mr. BUDD, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. LATTA, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. GUEST, Mr. CLINE, Mrs. MILLER, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. RUTHERFORD, and Mr. COLLINS of Georgia) 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 subsequently 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. 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 04:02 May 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6742.IH H6742 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6742 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Life in Cri- 2 sis Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING THE EXPENDITURE OF COVID–19 4 FUNDING FOR ANY ABORTION. 5 (a) PROHIBITIONS.— 6 (1) IN GENERAL.—No funds authorized or ap- 7 propriated by Federal law for the purpose of pre- 8 venting, preparing for, or responding to the COVID– 9 19 pandemic, domestically or internationally, and 10 none of the funds in any trust fund to which funds 11 are authorized or appropriated by Federal law for 12 such purpose, shall be expended for any abortion. 13 (2) SPECIFIED HEALTH BENEFITS COV- 14 ERAGE.—None of the funds authorized or appro- 15 priated by Federal law for the purpose described in 16 subsection (a), and none of the funds in any trust 17 fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated 18 by Federal law for such purpose, shall be expended 19 for, nor shall any credit for such purpose be allowed 20 under the internal revenue laws with respect to, cov- 21 erage under a qualified health plan offered through 22 an Exchange established pursuant to title I of the 23 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 24 COBRA continuation coverage, or any other cov- 25 erage, if such coverage includes coverage of abortion. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 May 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6742.IH H6742 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6742 IH (3) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 1 ‘‘COBRA continuation coverage’’ means continu- 2 ation coverage provided pursuant to part 6 of sub- 3 title B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income 4 Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1161 et seq.) 5 (other than under section 609 of such Act), title 6 XXII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 7 300bb–1 et seq.), section 4980B of the Internal Rev- 8 enue Code of 1986 (other than subsection (f)(1) of 9 such section insofar as it relates to pediatric vac- 10 cines), or section 8905a of title 5, United States 11 Code, or under a State program that provides com- 12 parable continuation coverage. Such term does not 13 include coverage under a health flexible spending ar- 14 rangement under a cafeteria plan within the mean- 15 ing of section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code of 16 1986. 17 (b) TREATMENT OF ABORTIONS RELATED TO RAPE, 18 INCEST, OR PRESERVING THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.— 19 The limitations established in subsection (a) shall not 20 apply to an abortion— 21 (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of 22 rape or incest; or 23 (2) in the case where a woman suffers from a 24 physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 May 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6742.IH H6742 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6742 IH including a life-endangering physical condition 1 caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that 2 would, as certified by a physician, place the woman 3 in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. 4 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 5 may be construed to require a plan or coverage described 6 in subsection (a) to provide coverage of any abortion. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 May 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6742.IH H6742 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS