Sponsors (2)
Makes it a federal crime for an abortion provider to cause fetal remains to be placed into publicly owned water systems, punishable by fines and/or up to 5 years in prison.
The bill aims to protect public water systems by banning discharge of fetal or abortion-related tissue into wastewater, but it creates criminal penalties and vague definitions that could increase legal risk, compliance costs, deter providers, and cause regulatory confusion.
Publicly owned water systems and the communities they serve: reduces the risk of contamination from fetal tissue or abortion-related medical waste by banning discharge into public wastewater systems.
State and local governments: preserves the authority to adopt and enforce stricter prohibitions or disposal rules if they choose.
Healthcare providers and medical-waste contractors: face new federal criminal liability (including up to five years' imprisonment) and heightened legal risk because broadly worded definitions could capture routine disposal practices, raising compliance costs and prosecution risk.
Patients (including those with chronic conditions) and abortion providers: may experience reduced access to abortion services because federal criminalization and disposal uncertainty could deter providers from offering or continuing services, especially in areas with unclear disposal infrastructure.
State and local governments, water systems, and clinics: could face regulatory confusion and duplication because federal enforcement may overlap or conflict with existing state/local disposal rules and permits.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: Prohibit fetal remains in publicly owned water systems, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by James E. Banks · Last progress June 25, 2025
Creates a new federal crime that makes it illegal for an abortion provider to cause fetal remains to be placed into a publicly owned water system, punishable by a fine and/or up to five years in prison. The pregnant individual is expressly exempt from liability, the measure preserves any state or local law that is more restrictive, and it sets out definitions for "abortion," "abortion provider," "fetal remains," and "publicly owned water system."