Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., introduced legislation Thursday that would create federal criminal penalties for anyone who intentionally administers an abortion-inducing drug to a woman without her informed consent, stepping into the debate over access to abortion pills and how they are used.
Messmer's proposal, the Forced Abortion Prevention and Accountability Act, would make it a federal offense to give, mail, ship, or otherwise provide an abortion-inducing drug without taking "reasonable measures" to verify the recipient is a pregnant woman seeking an abortion, according to a press release from his office.
The measure would also penalize attempts and conspiracies to carry out the offense, the release said.
If the nonconsensual administration results in serious bodily injury, offenders would face enhanced penalties under the bill.
"I am against abortion in most cases, but it is unconscionable to even consider tricking a woman into killing her unborn baby," Messmer said in a statement.
He also urged the federal government to treat the conduct as "murder," language that reflects ongoing political and legal disputes over abortion and fetal personhood.
The proposal targets situations in which a patient is given medication without knowing it or without agreeing to end a pregnancy.
Supporters describe the bill as a deterrent against coercion.
Critics of new federal restrictions on abortion medication argue that broad language can chill lawful care and create new liabilities for healthcare providers and pharmacies.
The bill's introduction does not guarantee action in the House or Senate. It arrives as lawmakers face continuing fallout from the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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