Overview

• Introduces federal ultrasound requirements before abortion procedures
• Amends Public Health Service Act to create new Title XXXIV on informed consent
• Status: Introduced January 3, 2025; referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Who does this affect?

• Main groups: Abortion providers nationwide, pregnant people seeking abortion (including teens), state medical licensing boards
• Providers face compliance requirements and penalties; patients experience mandatory ultrasound viewing
• Teen impact score: 9/10 (direct impact on teen reproductive healthcare)
• Teen-specific impact: Teens who become pregnant and seek abortion services would be subject to these mandatory ultrasound and viewing requirements before the procedure.

What This Bill Does

• Requires abortion providers to perform obstetric ultrasound before obtaining patient consent for abortion
• Provider must display ultrasound images where patient can view them and provide simultaneous explanation of what ultrasound depicts
• Medical description must include: embryo/fetus dimensions, cardiac activity if present and visible, external members and internal organs if viewable
• Patient may look away from images; neither provider nor patient faces penalty if patient declines to look
• Civil penalties: $100,000 for first violation, $250,000 for subsequent violations per provider
• Attorney General enforces penalties and notifies state medical licensing authorities of violations
• Patients may sue providers for actual and punitive damages for violations
• Exception: Requirements waived only when abortion necessary to save mother's life from physical disorder, illness, or injury
• Providers claiming life-saving exception must document specific medical circumstances in patient file
• Does not preempt stricter state ultrasound laws; states may impose more extensive requirements

Legislative Status

• Introduced in House on first day of 119th Congress
• Referred to Committee on Energy and Commerce; no further action yet

In short

• Federal law would require ultrasound before every abortion with images displayed to patient
• Providers must give detailed medical description including cardiac activity if detectable
• Penalties reach $100,000-$250,000 per violation plus private lawsuits from patients
• Only exception: procedures necessary to save mother's life from physical medical emergency
• States can add stricter requirements on top of federal mandate

Why should I care?

This bill directly changes abortion access by adding mandatory pre-procedure requirements nationwide. For teens who become pregnant, it means ultrasound viewing before any abortion procedure. The requirements apply regardless of pregnancy circumstances except life-threatening emergencies. Providers who skip ultrasound requirements face six-figure penalties, which could affect clinic operations and availability. States could layer additional requirements on top of these federal mandates. The bill raises questions about medical decision-making, informed consent standards, and reproductive healthcare access.