AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
October 4, 2017
Issue
Is Your Congressman a Co-Sponsor of the Heartbeat Bill?
Details
Is your Congressman a co-sponsor of HR 490 – the Heartbeat Protection Act of 2017. US Representative Steve King (R-IA) introduced the bill on January 12 and it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. On February 6th it was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations – one of five subcommittees under the House Judiciary Committee. It remains in that committee.
The bill in a Nutshell: If a heartbeat is detected, the baby is protected. Certain ultrasound can routinely detect a heartbeat in a baby as early as 6–7 weeks.
There are 168 co-sponsors of the bill representing 37 states. Of that 168, nine are from Pennsylvania: Scott Perry, Mike Kelly, Tom Marino, Tim Murphy, Lou Barletta, Lloyd Smucker, Bill Shuster, Glenn Thompson and Keith Rothfus.
This is the Official Congressional Research Service Summary:
1.) This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for a physician to knowingly perform an abortion: (1) without determining whether the fetus has a detectable heartbeat, (2) without informing the mother of the results, or (3) after determining that a fetus has a detectable heartbeat.
2.) It provides an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical (but not psychological or emotional) disorder, illness, or condition.
3.) A physician who performs a prohibited abortion is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
4.) A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
Action Steps
Contact your Congressman and ask him to co-sponsor HR 490, if he has not. If he is one of the nine, you can edit the pre-written message, to thank him for being a co-sponsor.
