Dignity for Aborted Children Act
Sponsored By: Representative Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15]
Introduced
Summary
Would set federal rules for disposal of fetal tissue after abortion. It would require providers to offer patients a choice to take fetal tissue or have the provider arrange interment or cremation, impose a 7‑day deadline for final disposition, require reporting to the Department of Health and Human Services, and create penalties for noncompliance.
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- Patients: Gives patients an explicit choice to take possession of fetal tissue for transfer to interment or cremation services or to release it to the provider for disposal. Consent must be written and kept in the patient file.
- Abortion providers: Would require clinics and providers to obtain and retain consent forms, arrange interment or cremation within 7 days if requested, report annual procedure and disposal data to the Secretary, and face civil fines up to $50,000 for missing consent records and criminal penalties including up to 5 years imprisonment for disposal violations.
- Federal reporting and state rules: Requires annual reporting to Congress on abortions by state, procedure type, and disposal method, and preserves the ability of states to impose stricter interment or cremation rules for fetal remains.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Annual reporting by abortion providers
If enacted, each abortion provider would send one annual report to HHS. The report would list total abortions and the gestational age for the reporting period. For abortions not done by medicine, clinics would report how many fetal remains were buried or cremated and how many were released to patients. HHS would send Congress an annual summary by State, procedure type, and disposal method.
Definitions and State disposal rules
If enacted, the bill would add section-specific definitions for 'abortion', 'abortion provider', and use the federal meaning of 'human fetal tissue'. The bill would also say it does not override State requirements. States could still require burial or cremation of fetal remains the same way they treat other human remains. This could allow States to impose stricter disposal rules on clinics.
New consent and disposal rules
If enacted, clinics would have to give every patient a signed consent form after an abortion with two disposal choices. You could take the fetal tissue or let the clinic keep it. If the clinic keeps it, the clinic would have to bury or cremate the tissue under State law no later than 7 days after the procedure. Clinics would have to keep your signed consent form in your file. Clinics could face civil fines up to $50,000 for missing paperwork and criminal penalties, including fines or up to 5 years in prison, for failing the burial or cremation rule.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15]
IL • R
Cosponsors
Babin
TX • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1]
AL • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Moore (WV)
WV • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Rep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5]
TN • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Webster (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]
MD • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Harris (NC)
NC • R
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov