Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HR522

Introduced
6/17/25  

Caption

Recognizing that Adriana Smith and her family's prolonged ordeal without their consent is the direct result of the Black maternal health crisis, the danger of laws that give rights to fetuses and take them away from pregnant people, and anti-abortion laws that continue to harm people who can become pregnant.

Impact

The resolution urges state governments to repeal laws that give rights to fetuses while stripping pregnant individuals of their autonomy. It calls for clarifications on how anti-abortion laws impact medical decisions, stating that the health and welfare of pregnant patients should be paramount. By addressing these issues, HR522 seeks to ensure that pregnant people retain their rights to make decisions about their bodies and healthcare without fear of legal repercussions. This reflects a broader goal of promoting equity and dignity within maternal healthcare and a response to the rising concerns about maternal health crises exacerbated by restrictive reproductive laws.

Summary

HR522, introduced in June 2025, addresses significant issues surrounding reproductive rights in the United States, particularly highlighted by the case of Adriana Smith, a pregnant woman who was declared brain dead but was kept on life support against her family’s wishes. The resolution underscores the critical impact of anti-abortion laws, such as the Georgia LIFE Act, which criminalizes the provision of abortion care and thereby places pregnant individuals in precarious medical and legal situations. It emphasizes the need for change as these laws contribute to systemic disparities in maternal healthcare, particularly affecting Black women who face disproportionately high maternal mortality rates.

Contention

One of the notable contentions surrounding HR522 revolves around the balance between fetal rights and the rights of pregnant individuals. Supporters argue that pregnant people should maintain control over their medical decisions, including the right to refuse life-supportive measures when they are no longer viable, while critics may contend that recognizing fetal rights is essential for protecting potential life. This tension highlights a significant ethical and legal debate in health policy, particularly in the context of rising maternal health disparities and the legislative landscape regarding reproductive health.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HR561

Expressing opposition to the use of State power against people in the United States seeking essential health care, including criminalization of the full range of sexual and reproductive health care such as abortion, gender-affirming care, and contraceptive care, and disapproving of State punishment of people for their pregnancy outcomes.

US HR522

Recognizing the role of father engagement in improving overall health outcomes during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, for both the mother and baby.

US SR276

A resolution expressing opposition to the use of State power against people in the United States seeking essential health care, including criminalization of the full range of sexual and reproductive health care such as abortion, gender-affirming care, and contraceptive care, and disapproving of State punishment of people for their pregnancy outcomes.

US HCR39

Expressing the sense of Congress to support the case of Beatriz, a young woman from a rural area of El Salvador, living in extreme poverty and with lupus, who fought for her life against the state to allow her to terminate a pregnancy that put her at risk, which exposed the serious consequences of the absolute criminalization of abortion in El Salvador, and urging the Salvadoran state to assume its international obligations in the field of human rights.

US HR1542

Supporting the designation of October 15, 2024, as "National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day" and recognizing the people who have lost a pregnancy or an infant.

US HR1509

Supporting the designation of the week beginning November 11, 2024, as "National Pregnancy Center Week" to recognize the vital role that community-supported pregnancy centers play in saving lives and serving women and men faced with difficult pregnancy decisions.

US SR773

A resolution supporting the ideals of Bump Day to ensure, through advocacy, awareness, and action, that every mom, regardless of where she lives, the color of her skin, or her ability to pay, gets the care she needs to deliver a safe pregnancy and birth, and a healthy future for herself and the baby she loves.

US SR869

A resolution designating the week beginning November 11, 2024, as "National Pregnancy Center Week" to recognize the vital role that community-supported pregnancy centers play in saving lives and serving women and men faced with difficult pregnancy decisions.

US HB12

Women's Health Protection Act of 2023 This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. Before fetal viability, governments may not restrict providers from using particular abortion procedures or drugs, offering abortion services via telemedicine, or immediately providing abortion services if delaying risks the patient's health. Furthermore, governments may not require providers to perform unnecessary medical procedures, provide medically inaccurate information, or comply with credentialing or other conditions that do not apply to providers who offer medically comparable services to abortions. Additionally, governments may not require patients to make medically unnecessary in-person visits before receiving abortion services or disclose their reasons for obtaining services. After fetal viability, governments may not restrict providers from performing abortions when necessary to protect a patient's life and health. The same provisions that apply to abortions before viability also apply to necessary abortions after viability. Additionally, states may authorize post-viability abortions in circumstances beyond those that the bill considers necessary. Further, the bill recognizes an individual's right to interstate travel, including for abortion services. The bill also prohibits governments from implementing measures that are similar to those restricted by the bill or that otherwise single out and impede access to abortion services, unless the measure significantly advances the safety of abortion services or health of patients and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may sue states or government officials to enforce this bill, regardless of certain immunity that would otherwise apply.

US HR784

Supporting the designation of October 15, 2023, as "National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day" and recognizing the people who have lost a pregnancy or an infant.

Similar Bills

CA AB732

County jails: prisons: incarcerated pregnant persons.

CA AB923

Detention and incarceration of pregnant and postpartum defendants.

CA AB2527

Incarceration: pregnant persons.

NJ AR83

Urges Congress to pass "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act."

NJ SR54

Urges Congress to pass "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act."

NJ AR44

Urges Congress to pass "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act."

CA AB2160

California Women’s Care Act.

IN SB0399

Parental consent for abortion.