Sponsors (6)
The bill clarifies federal disposal rules—potentially protecting public water systems and giving localities control—but it increases criminal liability, compliance costs, and geographic variation in standards, raising the risk of reduced local abortion access and burdens on providers.
Healthcare providers who perform abortions will have clearer federal guidance on disposal of fetal remains near public water infrastructure, reducing regulatory uncertainty for clinic staff.
Communities and public water systems may face lower risk of improper disposal and contamination because the bill clarifies acceptable disposal methods near public water infrastructure, supporting public-health and environmental protection.
The measure preserves the ability of state and local governments to adopt more restrictive disposal rules, allowing localities that prefer stricter standards to set them.
Women in some communities may face reduced local access to abortion services if clinics close or curtail services to avoid criminal liability, increasing travel burdens and delays in care.
Abortion providers and their staff face heightened criminal exposure—felony fines and up to 5 years' imprisonment—for disposal violations, increasing risk of prosecution and staffing disruptions.
The bill allows state and local authorities to adopt more restrictive disposal rules, producing a patchwork of standards that creates legal uncertainty for multi‑state providers and uneven patient access by geography.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits abortion providers from placing fetal remains into any federally, State, or locally owned water system and makes violations punishable by fines and/or up to 5 years imprisonment.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by Brandon Gill · Last progress June 25, 2025
Prohibits abortion providers from causing fetal remains to be placed into any federally, State, or locally owned or controlled water system (including supply, transport, treatment facilities and connecting drains/pipes). Violations are criminal offenses under federal law punishable by fines and/or imprisonment up to 5 years, while the individual who received the abortion is explicitly exempted from liability. Defines key terms (including “abortion,” “abortion provider,” “fetal remains,” and “publicly owned water system”) and preserves any State or local laws that are more restrictive than this federal rule.