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