H.R. 3504 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
H.R. 3504, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, would amend the
Born-Alive Infants Protection Act to establish penalties for individuals who
violate the latter measure.
When the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act was passed by Congress and signed
into law by President George W. Bush, it did not contain any punishment
provisions for medical personnel who allowed to die without treatment or
took action to kill babies who survived abortions. H.R. 3504 would correct
this omission.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require any medical
personnel present when a baby is born alive following an abortion or
attempted abortion to provide the same level of care to that child as they
would to any other child of the same gestational age. The bill would also
require that a born-alive abortion survivor be transferred to a hospital and
that anyone with knowledge of a violation of the law report it.
A health care practitioner who allows an aborted-alive baby to die would be
subject to a criminal fine and up to five years in prison, or both, under
the proposal; such an individual who takes action to kill a baby aborted
alive would be charged with murder.
A Senate version of the bill is being introduced by Senator Ben Sasse (NE).
Text
The complete text of H.R. 3504 as passed by the House of Representatives may
be found at
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3504/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22hr3504%5C%22%22%5D%7D&resultIndex=1
Co-Sponsors
H.R. 3504 was introduced by Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-8). A list of the
bill’s co-sponsors is available at
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3504/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22hr3504%5C%22%22%5D%7D&resultIndex=1
Status
9-15-15 H.R. 3504 was introduced in the House of Representatives and
referred to the Judiciary Committee.
9-16-15 House Rules Committee reported H.R. 3504 and H.R. 3134 to the House
floor for consideration.
9-18-15 House voted 248-177, with one Congressman voting “present,” to
approve H.R. 3504. The roll call vote is available at
https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll506.xml
Statements
9-18-15 A press release from H.R. 3504 sponsor Congressman Trent Franks is
available at
https://franks.house.gov/press-release/transcript-rep-franks-born-alive-debate-speech
9-18-15 A video of Congressman Franks’s floor remarks prior to H.R. 3504’s
passage is available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvGsLcEgFeE&feature=youtu.be
9-18-15 Videos of numerous Members of Congress delivering floor remarks on
behalf of H.R. 3504 are available at
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=H.R.+3504