Sponsors (13)
Requires ultrasounds, sharing of results, and an in-person signed informed-consent form 24+ hours before abortion; creates federal retention rules and civil penalties for providers.
The bill standardizes informed consent and preserves emergency exceptions, but imposes heavy legal, financial, privacy, and procedural burdens that are likely to delay care and substantially reduce access to abortion services.
Women seeking abortion care receive additional required disclosures (including ultrasound viewing and shared results) and a standardized informed‑consent process before the procedure.
Pregnant patients (and clinicians treating them) are explicitly protected by an emergency‑care exception that allows deviation from the rule when compliance would risk death or substantial irreversible physical impairment.
Individuals who prevail in lawsuits may recover attorney fees, making it easier for plaintiffs to obtain legal remedies without prohibitive litigation costs.
Abortion providers and patients face significant new legal and financial exposure (large statutory fines, DOJ enforcement authority, treble/punitive damages), which is likely to lead to clinic closures, reduced service availability, and worsened access to abortion care.
Women seeking abortions are required to undergo in‑person ultrasound sharing plus a 24‑hour waiting period, causing delays that increase travel, cost, logistical hardship, and the clinical risks of later procedures.
Mandated retention of signed consent forms under HIPAA‑like retention rules creates privacy risks that could deter patients from seeking care for fear that records could be accessed or used in litigation or enforcement actions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To ensure that women seeking an abortion are notified, before giving informed consent to receive an abortion, of the medical risks associated with the abortion procedure and the major developmental characteristics of the unborn child.
Introduced January 28, 2025 by Mary E. Miller · Last progress January 28, 2025
Requires abortion providers who act in or affect interstate or foreign commerce to perform an ultrasound, share the results with the patient, and obtain a signed in-person informed consent authorization at least 24 hours before any abortion, except in narrow medical-emergency circumstances. The bill mandates retention of the signed form under HIPAA-like data-retention rules and authorizes federal enforcement and large civil penalties (and appears to preserve private civil actions and criminal liability for violations). The law carves out a narrow medical exception limited to situations where complying would more likely than not cause death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment (excluding psychological or emotional conditions). Providers face heavy civil fines for adjudicated violations and potential legal exposure; patients would face required in-person steps and a minimum waiting period before care unless the emergency exception applies.