Sponsors (18)
The bill channels federal support and legal protection toward 'life-affirming' pregnancy services—expanding free supports and conscience protections for providers—while increasing the risk of reduced abortion access, fragmented care coordination, and new litigation and public-costs stemming from expanded enforcement rights.
Pregnant people—especially low-income families—gain expanded access to free pregnancy-related services and material supports (tests, ultrasounds, prenatal/parenting education, diapers/formula/cribs/car seats), reducing out-of-pocket costs and increasing local service availability.
Hospitals, clinics, nonprofits and other federally funded entities can decline to provide or refer for abortions without losing federal support, and individuals/entities harmed by conscience violations can sue for injunctive/declaratory relief, damages, and attorneys' fees—strengthening conscience protections and creating enforceable remedies.
The bill preserves emergency stabilizing treatment obligations for pregnant patients, clarifying that emergency care duties are unaffected and helping ensure urgent care remains available.
Pregnant people may face reduced access to abortion care and referrals at federally funded providers, making timely abortions harder to obtain.
Allowing conscientious opt-outs by federally funded providers risks fragmenting care and coordination—creating barriers and delays for time-sensitive services.
Broad private-rights-of-action and low exhaustion requirements could generate substantial new litigation against state/local governments and funded entities, increasing legal costs and burdening courts and defendants.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits federal discrimination against entities that refuse to participate in or promote abortions and creates a federal private right to sue for violations, including damages and fees.
Introduced March 18, 2025 by Christopher Henry Smith · Last progress March 18, 2025
Protects pregnancy centers and other entities from federal penalties, discrimination, or retaliation for refusing to participate in, refer for, counsel in favor of, provide, or promote abortions or abortion-inducing drugs, and for instead offering "life-affirming" pregnancy support. It adds a new federal right that lets the Attorney General or any adversely affected individual or entity sue for injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys' fees when these protections are violated, and preserves emergency-stabilizing treatment obligations.