Sponsors (4)
The bill eliminates a federal criminal prohibition on obstructing access to reproductive health facilities, reducing federal enforcement burdens and expanding protection from federal penalties for some individuals while shifting responsibility to states and risking increased local burdens and potential harms to patients and clinic staff.
Federal taxpayers and prosecutors face reduced federal criminal caseloads and enforcement costs because the federal offense for obstructing access to reproductive health facility entrances is removed and enforcement shifts to state/local authorities, allowing more local discretion.
Individuals charged under the former federal offense (including women and people with disabilities) will no longer be subject to federal criminal penalties for obstructing access to reproductive health facility entrances for pending and future prosecutions.
Patients and clinic staff (including women and people with chronic conditions) may face increased risk of obstruction, harassment, or denied access to reproductive health care because the federal deterrent penalty is removed.
Local law enforcement and prosecutors may bear greater operational and financial burdens and provide uneven protection depending on local resources and laws, creating inconsistent access and enforcement across jurisdictions.
Individuals previously prosecuted or charged under the old statute could seek relief or challenge convictions for cases pending or commenced on or after enactment, creating legal uncertainty and potential costs for courts and taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Repeals the federal crime for blocking access to entrances of reproductive health-care facilities and removes that section from the federal criminal code; applies to pending and future federal prosecutions.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Mike Lee · Last progress January 23, 2025
Repeals the federal criminal offense that made it illegal to block or interfere with access to entrances of reproductive health-care facilities and removes that section from the federal criminal code. The repeal applies to prosecutions pending on or brought on or after the date the law takes effect and also leaves in place a clause that the act’s short title creates no new rights or funding.