Bill Seeks Penalties for Non-Consensual Abortion Drug Use
WASHINGTON D.C. — Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) has introduced a new piece of legislation aimed at creating federal criminal penalties for the non-consensual administration of abortion-inducing drugs to pregnant women.
The bill, titled the Forced Abortion Prevention and Accountability Act, seeks to address incidents where unsupportive partners, abusers, or traffickers have obtained abortion pills and given them to pregnant women without their knowledge or informed consent.
The central component of the legislation is the establishment of federal criminal penalties for individuals who knowingly and intentionally administer abortion-inducing drugs without the woman’s express and informed consent.
The Act includes several key provisions designed to enhance legal protections:
Enhanced Penalties: Offenders would face heightened sanctions if the non-consensual administration of the drugs results in serious bodily injury to the woman.
Scope of Offense: The bill also penalizes those who attempt or conspire to commit the offense.
Distribution Accountability: The legislation targets the supply chain, applying penalties to anyone who sells, ships, or mails abortion-inducing drugs without taking reasonable measures to verify the recipient is a pregnant woman seeking an abortion.
Senator Banks emphasized the bill’s focus on protecting vulnerable women: “No woman should ever be tricked or forced into ending the life of her child. This bill is simple: it holds abusers accountable and protects mothers and their babies.”
The need for the legislation is underscored by reported cases across the country, including one in Texas where an individual was charged after allegedly crushing abortion pills into his girlfriend’s coffee. Proponents of the bill argue that the deregulated protocols surrounding the online acquisition of abortion pills have made it easier for abusers to commit these acts.
The bill is being cosponsored by several Republican senators, including Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Major pro-life advocacy organizations have announced their endorsement, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life, Concerned Women for America LAC, and the National Right to Life Committee. The legislation has been formally introduced and awaits committee consideration.
