# Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

This bill requires doctors to provide medical care and treatment to infants who are born alive during an abortion procedure. If a baby is born alive—meaning it shows signs of life like a heartbeat, breathing, or muscle movement—the bill says medical professionals must try to keep that infant alive and get them to a hospital for additional care. The bill also makes it a federal crime for a doctor to intentionally fail to provide this care or to take steps that would end the infant's life, with penalties including fines and up to five years in prison.

The bill applies specifically to situations where an abortion procedure results in a live birth. Supporters argue this protects infants who survive abortion attempts, while critics contend that such situations are extremely rare and that existing laws already require medical care for any born infant. The legislation essentially creates a new federal crime focused on this specific scenario, giving federal prosecutors the ability to bring charges in addition to any state-level charges that might apply.

In practical terms, this bill would affect doctors and medical staff who perform abortions, as well as hospitals and abortion clinics. It establishes a federal legal obligation to resuscitate and transfer any infant born alive during an abortion procedure to a hospital. The bill does not change abortion access itself—it only addresses what happens if an infant is born alive during the procedure. Medical professionals would need to follow these requirements or face federal criminal charges.

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

Sasse, Ben

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties&#8212;a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.