1 | 1 | | I |
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2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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3 | 3 | | 1 |
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4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 2226 |
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5 | 5 | | To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against |
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6 | 6 | | entities that do not participate in abortion and to strengthen implementa- |
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7 | 7 | | tion and enforcement of Federal conscience laws. |
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8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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9 | 9 | | MARCH18, 2025 |
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10 | 10 | | Mr. S |
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11 | 11 | | MITHof New Jersey (for himself, Ms. TENNEY, and Mr. ADERHOLT) |
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12 | 12 | | introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En- |
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13 | 13 | | ergy and Commerce |
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14 | 14 | | A BILL |
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15 | 15 | | To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimi- |
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16 | 16 | | nation against entities that do not participate in abortion |
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17 | 17 | | and to strengthen implementation and enforcement of |
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18 | 18 | | Federal conscience laws. |
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19 | 19 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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20 | 20 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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21 | 21 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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22 | 22 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Let Pregnancy Centers 4 |
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23 | 23 | | Serve Act of 2025’’. 5 |
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24 | 24 | | SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 |
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25 | 25 | | Congress makes the following findings: 7 |
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27 | 27 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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28 | 28 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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29 | 29 | | (1) Pregnancy centers are community-based, 1 |
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30 | 30 | | nonprofit organizations that provide free compas-2 |
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31 | 31 | | sionate care, support, and resources to help meet the 3 |
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32 | 32 | | physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual 4 |
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33 | 33 | | needs of women, girls, couples, and families navi-5 |
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34 | 34 | | gating pregnancy and offer life-affirming alter-6 |
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35 | 35 | | natives to abortion. These services can include preg-7 |
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36 | 36 | | nancy tests, ultrasounds, STD/STI tests, prenatal 8 |
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37 | 37 | | education programs, parenting education programs, 9 |
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38 | 38 | | after-abortion support, lactation consultations, cer-10 |
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39 | 39 | | tified dietician and nutritionist consultations, and 11 |
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40 | 40 | | well-women exams. 12 |
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41 | 41 | | (2) Pregnancy care centers are committed to 13 |
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42 | 42 | | providing clients with complete and accurate infor-14 |
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43 | 43 | | mation regarding their pregnancy options and the 15 |
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44 | 44 | | development of an unborn baby. Most pregnancy 16 |
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45 | 45 | | centers are affiliated with at least one of three na-17 |
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46 | 46 | | tional networks. These networks require their affili-18 |
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47 | 47 | | ates to adopt a Commitment of Care and Com-19 |
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48 | 48 | | petence, setting ethical, legal, and regulatory stand-20 |
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49 | 49 | | ards. 21 |
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50 | 50 | | (3) In 2022 alone, 2,750 pregnancy centers 22 |
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51 | 51 | | across the United States provided an estimated 23 |
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52 | 52 | | 3,255,856 total client sessions, including in-person 24 |
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53 | 53 | | and virtual sessions. 97.4 percent of clients seen by 25 |
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55 | 55 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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56 | 56 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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57 | 57 | | pregnancy centers reported having a positive experi-1 |
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58 | 58 | | ence with pregnancy centers. 2 |
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59 | 59 | | (4) The total values of the material goods and 3 |
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60 | 60 | | services provided by pregnancy centers in 2022 was 4 |
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61 | 61 | | at least $367 million. 808,737 clients received mate-5 |
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62 | 62 | | rial resources, which included packs of diapers and 6 |
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63 | 63 | | wipes, baby formula, baby clothes, new cribs, new 7 |
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64 | 64 | | car seats, and strollers. 8 |
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65 | 65 | | (5) Out of the 62,576 individuals who worked 9 |
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66 | 66 | | at pregnancy centers in 2022, 44,930 (7 in 10 work-10 |
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67 | 67 | | ers) were volunteers. 11 |
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68 | 68 | | (6) Many pregnancy centers offer medical serv-12 |
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69 | 69 | | ices. In 2022, 10,175 medical staff and volunteers 13 |
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70 | 70 | | provided care to clients across the Nation. Preg-14 |
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71 | 71 | | nancy centers performed 546,683 free ultrasounds, 15 |
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72 | 72 | | at an estimated total value of $136 million. 16 |
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73 | 73 | | SEC. 3. PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ENTITIES 17 |
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74 | 74 | | THAT DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ABORTION. 18 |
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75 | 75 | | Title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 19 |
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76 | 76 | | 202 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 245 the 20 |
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77 | 77 | | following: 21 |
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79 | 79 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
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80 | 80 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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81 | 81 | | ‘‘SEC. 245A. PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ENTI-1 |
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82 | 82 | | TIES THAT DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ABOR-2 |
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83 | 83 | | TION. 3 |
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84 | 84 | | ‘‘(a) I |
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85 | 85 | | NGENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other law, 4 |
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86 | 86 | | the Federal Government, and any individual or entity that 5 |
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87 | 87 | | receives Federal financial assistance, including any State 6 |
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88 | 88 | | or local government, may not discriminate against, penal-7 |
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89 | 89 | | ize, or retaliate against an entity because the entity offers 8 |
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90 | 90 | | life-affirming support and resources to women facing un-9 |
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91 | 91 | | expected pregnancy, offers life-affirming alternatives to 10 |
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92 | 92 | | abortion, or refrains from actions that counsel in favor 11 |
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93 | 93 | | of, suggest, recommend, assist, provide, promote, or in any 12 |
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94 | 94 | | way participate in the performance of abortions. 13 |
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95 | 95 | | ‘‘(b) P |
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96 | 96 | | ROHIBITEDACTIONS.—The actions that are 14 |
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97 | 97 | | prohibited under subsection (a) include, at a minimum— 15 |
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98 | 98 | | ‘‘(1) requiring an entity to offer or perform an 16 |
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99 | 99 | | abortion; 17 |
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100 | 100 | | ‘‘(2) requiring an entity to offer, provide, or 18 |
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101 | 101 | | distribute an abortion-inducing drug; 19 |
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102 | 102 | | ‘‘(3) requiring an entity to refer a person for an 20 |
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103 | 103 | | abortion or an abortion-inducing drug; 21 |
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104 | 104 | | ‘‘(4) requiring an entity to counsel in favor of 22 |
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105 | 105 | | an abortion or an abortion-inducing drug; 23 |
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106 | 106 | | ‘‘(5) requiring an entity to post any advertise-24 |
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107 | 107 | | ment, sign, flyer, or similar material that promotes 25 |
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109 | 109 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 |
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110 | 110 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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111 | 111 | | or provides information about obtaining an abortion 1 |
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112 | 112 | | or an abortion-inducing drug; and 2 |
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113 | 113 | | ‘‘(6) prohibiting an entity from providing infor-3 |
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114 | 114 | | mation, care, counseling, classes, or other services 4 |
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115 | 115 | | related to pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting be-5 |
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116 | 116 | | cause the entity does not perform, refer, or counsel 6 |
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117 | 117 | | in favor of an abortion or an abortion-inducing drug. 7 |
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118 | 118 | | ‘‘(c) R |
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119 | 119 | | ULE OFCONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-8 |
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120 | 120 | | tion shall be construed— 9 |
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121 | 121 | | ‘‘(1) to prevent any entity from voluntarily 10 |
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122 | 122 | | electing to participate in abortions or abortion refer-11 |
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123 | 123 | | rals where not prohibited by any other law; or 12 |
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124 | 124 | | ‘‘(2) to affect, or be affected by, any Federal 13 |
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125 | 125 | | law that requires stabilizing treatment for a preg-14 |
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126 | 126 | | nant woman or her unborn child when either needs 15 |
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127 | 127 | | emergency care. 16 |
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128 | 128 | | ‘‘(d) D |
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129 | 129 | | EFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 17 |
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130 | 130 | | ‘‘(1) A |
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131 | 131 | | BORTION.—The term ‘abortion’ means 18 |
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132 | 132 | | the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, 19 |
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133 | 133 | | drug, or any other substance or device— 20 |
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134 | 134 | | ‘‘(A) to intentionally kill the unborn child 21 |
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135 | 135 | | of a woman known to be pregnant; or 22 |
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136 | 136 | | ‘‘(B) to intentionally terminate the preg-23 |
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137 | 137 | | nancy of a woman known to be pregnant, with 24 |
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138 | 138 | | an intention other than— 25 |
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141 | 141 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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142 | 142 | | ‘‘(i) after viability to produce a live 1 |
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143 | 143 | | birth and preserve the life and health of 2 |
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144 | 144 | | the child born alive; 3 |
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145 | 145 | | ‘‘(ii) to remove a dead unborn child; 4 |
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146 | 146 | | or 5 |
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147 | 147 | | ‘‘(iii) to remove an ectopic pregnancy 6 |
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148 | 148 | | or other pregnancy implanted outside the 7 |
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149 | 149 | | uterus. 8 |
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150 | 150 | | ‘‘(2) F |
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151 | 151 | | EDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE .—The 9 |
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152 | 152 | | term ‘Federal financial assistance’ means Federal 10 |
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153 | 153 | | payments to cover the cost of health care services or 11 |
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154 | 154 | | benefits, or other Federal payments, grants, or loans 12 |
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155 | 155 | | to promote or otherwise facilitate health-related ac-13 |
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156 | 156 | | tivities. Such term does not include expenditures 14 |
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157 | 157 | | made under direct spending programs. 15 |
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158 | 158 | | ‘‘(3) L |
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159 | 159 | | IFE-AFFIRMING ALTERNATIVES TO ABOR -16 |
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160 | 160 | | TION.—The term ‘life-affirming alternatives to abor-17 |
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161 | 161 | | tion’ means one or more programs that promote 18 |
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162 | 162 | | childbirth as an alternative to abortion, through life- 19 |
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163 | 163 | | affirming social services providers, which may in-20 |
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164 | 164 | | clude pregnancy centers, adoption assistance pro-21 |
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165 | 165 | | viders, and maternity homes. For purposes of the 22 |
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166 | 166 | | preceding sentence, the term ‘life-affirming social 23 |
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167 | 167 | | services providers’ does not include entities that pro-24 |
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170 | 170 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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171 | 171 | | vide, facilitate, counsel in favor of, or refer for abor-1 |
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172 | 172 | | tions. 2 |
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173 | 173 | | ‘‘(4) L |
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174 | 174 | | IFE-AFFIRMING SUPPORT AND RE -3 |
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175 | 175 | | SOURCES TO WOMEN FACING UNEXPECTED PREG -4 |
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176 | 176 | | NANCY.— 5 |
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177 | 177 | | ‘‘(A) I |
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178 | 178 | | N GENERAL.—The term ‘life-affirm-6 |
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179 | 179 | | ing support and resources to women facing un-7 |
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180 | 180 | | expected pregnancy’ means one or more of the 8 |
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181 | 181 | | following: 9 |
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182 | 182 | | ‘‘(i) Providing information, care, 10 |
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183 | 183 | | counseling, classes, or other services re-11 |
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184 | 184 | | lated to pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting 12 |
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185 | 185 | | without providing, referring, or counseling 13 |
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186 | 186 | | in favor of abortion or abortion-inducing 14 |
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187 | 187 | | drugs. 15 |
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188 | 188 | | ‘‘(ii) Providing prenatal and postnatal 16 |
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189 | 189 | | resources, such as diapers, baby clothes, 17 |
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190 | 190 | | baby furniture, formula, and similar items. 18 |
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191 | 191 | | ‘‘(iii) Providing medical testing, coun-19 |
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192 | 192 | | seling, and care related to pregnancy or 20 |
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193 | 193 | | childbirth. 21 |
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194 | 194 | | ‘‘(iv) Counseling a woman on preg-22 |
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195 | 195 | | nancy-related care or treatment, including 23 |
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196 | 196 | | care or treatment that may reverse the ef-24 |
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197 | 197 | | fects of abortion-inducing drugs. 25 |
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200 | 200 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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201 | 201 | | ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The term ‘life-affirm-1 |
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202 | 202 | | ing support and resources to women facing un-2 |
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203 | 203 | | expected pregnancy’ does not include per-3 |
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204 | 204 | | forming, referring, or counseling in favor of 4 |
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205 | 205 | | abortion or abortion-inducing drugs. 5 |
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206 | 206 | | ‘‘(5) S |
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207 | 207 | | TATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT .—The 6 |
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208 | 208 | | term ‘State or local government’ includes every 7 |
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209 | 209 | | agency and other governmental unit and subdivision 8 |
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210 | 210 | | of a State or local government, if such State or local 9 |
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211 | 211 | | government, or any agency or governmental unit or 10 |
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212 | 212 | | subdivision thereof, receives Federal financial assist-11 |
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213 | 213 | | ance.’’. 12 |
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214 | 214 | | SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL 13 |
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215 | 215 | | CONSCIENCE LAWS. 14 |
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216 | 216 | | Title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 15 |
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217 | 217 | | 202 et seq.), as amended by section 3, is further amended 16 |
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218 | 218 | | by inserting after section 245A the following: 17 |
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219 | 219 | | ‘‘SEC. 245B. CIVIL ACTION FOR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST 18 |
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220 | 220 | | ENTITIES OFFERING ABORTION ALTER-19 |
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221 | 221 | | NATIVES. 20 |
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222 | 222 | | ‘‘(a) I |
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223 | 223 | | NGENERAL.—A qualified party may, in a civil 21 |
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224 | 224 | | action, obtain relief described in subsection (e) with re-22 |
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225 | 225 | | spect to a designated violation. 23 |
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226 | 226 | | ‘‘(b) D |
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227 | 227 | | EFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 24 |
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230 | 230 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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231 | 231 | | ‘‘(1) DESIGNATED VIOLATION.—The term ‘des-1 |
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232 | 232 | | ignated violation’ means an actual or threatened vio-2 |
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233 | 233 | | lation of any provision of law described in section 3 |
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234 | 234 | | 245A. 4 |
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235 | 235 | | ‘‘(2) Q |
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236 | 236 | | UALIFIED PARTY.—The term ‘qualified 5 |
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237 | 237 | | party’ means— 6 |
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238 | 238 | | ‘‘(A) the Attorney General; or 7 |
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239 | 239 | | ‘‘(B) any individual or entity adversely af-8 |
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240 | 240 | | fected by the designated violation. 9 |
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241 | 241 | | ‘‘(c) A |
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242 | 242 | | DMINISTRATIVEREMEDIESNOTREQUIRED.— 10 |
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243 | 243 | | An action under this section may be commenced, and relief 11 |
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244 | 244 | | may be granted, without regard to whether the party com-12 |
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245 | 245 | | mencing the action has sought or exhausted any available 13 |
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246 | 246 | | administrative remedies. 14 |
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247 | 247 | | ‘‘(d) D |
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248 | 248 | | EFENDANTS IN ACTIONSUNDERTHISSEC-15 |
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249 | 249 | | TIONMAYINCLUDEGOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ASWELL 16 |
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250 | 250 | | ASOTHERS.— 17 |
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251 | 251 | | ‘‘(1) I |
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252 | 252 | | N GENERAL.—An action under this sec-18 |
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253 | 253 | | tion may be maintained against any individual or en-19 |
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254 | 254 | | tity receiving Federal financial assistance (as defined 20 |
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255 | 255 | | in section 245A(c)), including a State governmental 21 |
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256 | 256 | | entity. Relief in an action under this section may in-22 |
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257 | 257 | | clude money damages even if the defendant is a gov-23 |
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258 | 258 | | ernmental entity. 24 |
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261 | 261 | | •HR 2226 IH |
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262 | 262 | | ‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this 1 |
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263 | 263 | | subsection, the term ‘State governmental entity’ 2 |
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264 | 264 | | means a State, a local government within a State, 3 |
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265 | 265 | | and any agency or other governmental unit or sub-4 |
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266 | 266 | | division of a State, or of such a local government. 5 |
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267 | 267 | | ‘‘(e) N |
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268 | 268 | | ATURE OFRELIEF.—In an action under this 6 |
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269 | 269 | | section, the court shall grant— 7 |
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270 | 270 | | ‘‘(1) all appropriate relief, including injunctive 8 |
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271 | 271 | | relief, declaratory relief, and compensatory damages 9 |
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272 | 272 | | to prevent the occurrence, continuance, or repetition 10 |
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273 | 273 | | of the designated violation and to compensate for 11 |
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274 | 274 | | losses resulting from the designated violation; and 12 |
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275 | 275 | | ‘‘(2) to a prevailing plaintiff, reasonable attor-13 |
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276 | 276 | | neys’ fees and litigation costs.’’. 14 |
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277 | 277 | | SEC. 5. SEVERABILITY. 15 |
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278 | 278 | | If any provision of this Act or an amendment made 16 |
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279 | 279 | | by this Act, or the application of such a provision or 17 |
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280 | 280 | | amendment to any individual, entity, government, or cir-18 |
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281 | 281 | | cumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder 19 |
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282 | 282 | | of this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and 20 |
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283 | 283 | | the application of such provision or amendment to any 21 |
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284 | 284 | | other individual, entity, government, or circumstance, 22 |
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285 | 285 | | shall not be affected. 23 |
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286 | 286 | | Æ |
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