Sponsors (43)
The bill removes federal enforcement of the clinic-access statute—shifting responsibility and resource savings to state and local authorities and reducing federal prosecutions, while substantially lowering uniform federal protections for people accessing reproductive healthcare and creating uneven safety outcomes across jurisdictions.
People charged under 18 U.S.C. §248 (e.g., protesters previously federally prosecuted for clinic-access conduct) will no longer face federal prosecution for cases pending or begun on/after enactment, reducing the legal exposure of those individuals.
Taxpayers and the Department of Justice will see reduced federal prosecutorial workload and resource use because the statute will no longer be enforced at the federal level.
State and local governments and law enforcement regain primary responsibility for handling clinic-access incidents, increasing local control over enforcement and prosecutorial priorities.
People seeking reproductive health services (including those with chronic conditions) will have less federal protection against blockades, threats, and violence at clinics previously covered by §248, potentially increasing their risk when accessing care.
Victims of clinic-targeted obstruction or harassment will face uneven protection because responses will depend on varying state laws and local enforcement priorities, creating geographic disparities in safety and remedies.
Removing the federal statute reduces federal deterrence against organized or large-scale obstruction of healthcare facilities, which could increase the frequency or intensity of disruptive demonstrations in some areas.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Repeals the federal criminal statute that prohibited blocking or interfering with access to clinics and removes it from the federal code.
Introduced January 21, 2025 by Charles Roy · Last progress January 21, 2025
Repeals the federal criminal law that made it a crime to block or interfere with access to medical clinics and similar facilities. The repeal removes the statute from the federal criminal code and applies to prosecutions pending on or begun on or after the date the repeal becomes law.