Sponsors (23)
The bill strengthens privacy protections for reproductive and sexual-health communications—reducing chilling effects on care and bolstering electronic-communications privacy—while limiting some law-enforcement access and introducing administrative and legal uncertainty about scope.
People seeking reproductive or sexual health care (e.g., contraception, abortion, IVF, sexual-health services) are less likely to have their private electronic communications used to trigger investigations or prosecutions, reducing chilling effects and protecting access to care.
Users' electronic communications receive stronger privacy protections because the bill explicitly prohibits using contents obtained via wiretap orders or compelled records for reproductive/sexual-health investigations.
Prosecutors and investigators may face limits obtaining evidence when communications are covered by the new protections, potentially hindering investigations (including those unrelated to reproductive care) that incidentally include protected information.
A broad or ambiguous definition of 'reproductive or sexual health information' could create uncertainty and lead to litigation over scope, increasing legal costs and inconsistent application.
New sworn‑statement requirements and mandated judicial findings could increase administrative burden for courts and government agencies, slowing case processing and raising implementation costs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Stops federal use of intercepted or compelled communications to investigate or prosecute people who seek, provide, or facilitate reproductive or sexual health care and requires sworn statements and judicial findings to that effect.
Introduced May 6, 2025 by Ted Lieu · Last progress May 6, 2025
Prohibits federal use of intercepted communications or compelled customer communications/records to investigate or prosecute people who inquire about, seek, obtain, provide, or facilitate reproductive or sexual health care. Adds documentary and judicial safeguards to two federal statutes governing wiretaps and compelled disclosure so that government applicants must state they will not use captured contents for reproductive or sexual health investigations and judges must find the same before authorizing interceptions.