Summary
# S. 197 - American Values Act
## WHAT THIS BILL DOES
This bill makes certain restrictions on federal funding permanent. The restrictions prevent money from being used to pay for abortions, involuntary sterilizations (the permanent removal of a person's ability to have children without their consent), and related activities in foreign aid programs and the Peace Corps.
## WHO IT AFFECTS
- Foreign aid programs operating under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
- Peace Corps programs and operations
- Organizations or programs that receive federal funding for foreign assistance
- The President (who determines which organizations violate these restrictions)
## KEY PROVISIONS
- No federal money can pay for abortions as a family planning method or be used to pressure anyone into having an abortion (Sec. 2(a))
- No federal money can pay for involuntary sterilization or be used to pressure or pay anyone to undergo sterilization (Sec. 2(a))
- No federal money can pay for research related to abortion methods or involuntary sterilization as family planning (Sec. 2(a))
- No federal money can be used to lobby for or against abortion (Sec. 2(a))
- No federal money can go to organizations that manage programs involving forced abortion or involuntary sterilization, as decided by the President (Sec. 2(a))
- Peace Corps funding cannot be used to pay for abortions (Sec. 2(b))
## WHAT CHANGES
These restrictions will become permanent law instead of being temporary measures that must be renewed in appropriations bills (funding bills that decide how money gets spent).
## IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
None defined in the bill text.
## EFFECTIVE DATE
Not specified in bill text.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 197
To permanently enact certain appropriations Act restrictions on the use
of funds for abortions and involuntary sterilizations, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. HAGERTY,
Mr. JOHNSON, and Mr. BARRASSO) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
A BILL
To permanently enact certain appropriations Act restrictions
on the use of funds for abortions and involuntary steri-
lizations, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘American Values Act’’.
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SEC. 2. PERMANENT ENACTMENT OF CERTAIN GENERAL
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PROVISIONS.
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(a) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.—Section
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104(f) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
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2151b(f)) is amended to read as follows:
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•S 197 IS
‘‘(f) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR ABOR-
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TIONS AND INVOLUNTARY STERILIZATIONS.—None of the
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funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made
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available to carry out this Act may be made available—
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‘‘(1) to pay for the performance of abortions as
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a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce
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any person to practice abortions;
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‘‘(2) to pay for the performance of involuntary
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sterilization as a method of family planning or to co-
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erce or provide any financial incentive to any person
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to undergo sterilizations;
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‘‘(3) to pay for biomedical research which re-
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lates in whole or in part, to methods of, or the per-
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formance of, abortions or involuntary sterilization as
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a means of family planning;
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‘‘(4) to lobby for or against abortion; or
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‘‘(5) to any organization or program which, as
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determined by the President, supports or partici-
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pates in the management of a program of coercive
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abortion or involuntary sterilization.’’.
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(b) PEACE CORPS ACT.—Section 301(b) of the Peace
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Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501a(b)) is amended by adding
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at the end the following:
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‘‘(3) Subject to section 614 of the Financial Services
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and General Government Appropriations Act, 2014 (divi-
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•S 197 IS
sion E of Public Law 113–76; 128 Stat. 227), none of
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the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made
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available to carry out this Act may be used to pay for
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abortions.’’.
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