This Senate bill would amend title 18 of the U.S. Code to prohibit a specific abortion procedure commonly described as a dismemberment abortion. By placing the ban in federal criminal law, it would apply to providers and potentially others involved in carrying out the procedure. The bill is aimed at abortion practice and enforcement, rather than creating a new spending program or benefit. It has been introduced and sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review.
What This Bill Does
- Amends title 18, United States Code.
- Would prohibit “dismemberment abortions.”
- Creates a federal criminal-law restriction, not a spending program.
- Has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Introduced in the Senate on June 24, 2026.
Who This Bill Affects
If this bill became law, it would mainly affect people seeking abortion care and the clinicians who provide it, by making one named procedure a federal crime under title 18. For someone who may need an abortion, the practical effect could be fewer procedure options and more legal risk or delay in obtaining care, especially in later or medically complicated pregnancies.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- Anti-abortion advocates They view the targeted procedure as morally objectionable and believe Congress should set a federal standard limiting abortion methods they regard as especially violent.
- Some religious voters and social conservatives They often support measures that narrow abortion access and argue that federal law should protect unborn life by restricting specific procedures.
- Some legislators focused on fetal-rights arguments They contend that a criminal prohibition creates a clear national rule and prevents the procedure from being used even where state laws are permissive.
- Abortion providers and reproductive health clinicians They argue the bill would criminalize medically used procedures, interfere with physician judgment, and force clinics to alter care protocols under threat of prosecution.
- Reproductive rights advocates They say targeted bans reduce access to constitutionally contested reproductive care and can make abortion more difficult, especially for patients facing later or complex pregnancies.
- Some public health and women’s health groups They warn that criminal penalties can create fear around treatment decisions, complicate referrals, and increase barriers for patients who already face delays or limited local access.
Key Implications
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““to prohibit dismemberment abortions””
This is the core restriction: a particular abortion method would be barred under federal law, which could force providers to change how they practice or stop offering the procedure.
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““to amend title 18, United States Code””
Placing the policy in the federal criminal code means violations can carry criminal-law consequences, not just professional discipline or civil penalties.
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““for other purposes””
This standard legislative phrase often allows the final bill text to include related enforcement or definitional provisions affecting how the ban is applied.
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““Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary””
The bill is at an early stage and has been assigned to the Senate committee that typically handles criminal law and constitutional issues.
Official Source & Bill Facts
BillBoard checks this page against public Congress.gov metadata, then adds plain-English analysis where available.
- Bill
- S 4880
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit dismemberment abortions, and for other purposes.
- Policy area
- Healthcare
- Latest action
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (June 24, 2026)
- Last updated
- June 25, 2026
Latest Status
June 24, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.