S. 2066 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

S. 2066, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, is the Senate version of the House-passed bill H.R. 3504. The measure, which has not yet been assigned a Senate bill number, 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. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act 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.

Text

The text of S. 2066 is not yet available online.

Co-Sponsors

The sponsor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is Senator Ben Sasse (NE). A list of the bill’s co-sponsors is available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2066/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22abortion%22%5D%7D&resultIndex=1

Status

9-22-15 The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Statements

9-18-15 Press release from Senator Sasse stating that he will introduce the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the Senate on Monday, September 21, 2015, is available at https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=3C3E7B2D-9820-48B6-BF21-65507457AE70