Sponsors (18)
The bill strengthens recognition, definition, and federal enforcement options for reproductive coercion—improving safety and legal remedies for some survivors—while leaving many victims dependent on state law and creating legal, privacy, and administrative costs and complexities for others.
Survivors of reproductive coercion (especially women and parents) gain a new federal civil remedy—courts can award actual and punitive damages and issue injunctions when the coercive conduct involves interstate commerce or other federal jurisdictional bases, improving access to enforceable relief.
People affected by reproductive coercion (women, pregnant and postpartum people) and service providers benefit from a clear statutory definition of 'reproductive coercion,' making it easier for courts, advocates, and providers to identify, document, and respond to behaviors like contraception sabotage and pregnancy pressure.
Women and pregnant/postpartum people gain increased visibility of reproductive coercion as a health and safety issue—research and findings in the bill linking coercion to higher homicide risk and other harms can drive targeted prevention, funding for services, and training for providers.
Many survivors (including women and parents) will remain unable to obtain federal relief because the new federal remedy applies only where an interstate‑commerce or special‑jurisdiction nexus exists, leaving most cases to vary by state law.
Defendants, families, and insurers face higher litigation risk and potential punitive damages exposure, which could increase legal costs, insurance premiums, and financial liability for individuals and small entities.
State and local governments, and litigants, may face legal complexity and inconsistent outcomes because the federal definition and remedy could overlap or conflict with diverse state definitions and remedies, encouraging forum‑shopping and unpredictable litigation.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal civil right to sue for domestic violence that includes reproductive coercion, defining it and allowing damages and injunctions when connected to interstate commerce or certain federal jurisdictions.
Introduced December 18, 2025 by Dave Min · Last progress December 18, 2025
Creates a new federal civil cause of action for domestic violence that includes reproductive coercion, defines reproductive coercion in federal law, and allows survivors to sue for actual and punitive damages and injunctive relief in federal court when the conduct is connected to interstate or foreign commerce or occurs in specified federal jurisdictions. The measure also includes findings about the prevalence and forms of reproductive coercion, including contraception sabotage and pressure to force or prevent pregnancy, and clarifies that the federal remedy does not replace state court jurisdiction or state definitions and remedies.