Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§300a–8 Penalty for United States, Etc., Officer or Employee Coercing or Endeavoring to Coerce Procedure Upon Beneficiary of Federal Program

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER VIII — POPULATION RESEARCH AND VOLUNTARY FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS › § 300a–8

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

It makes a crime for federal, state, or local officials, program managers, or anyone paid by a federally funded program to force or try to force a person to have an abortion or sterilization by threatening to take away or deny benefits or services. People who do this can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to one year, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §300a–8

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any—

(1)officer or employee of the United States,

(2)officer or employee of any State, political subdivision of a State, or any other entity, which administers or supervises the administration of any program receiving Federal financial assistance, or

(3)person who receives, under any program receiving Federal financial assistance, compensation for services,

who coerces or endeavors to coerce any person to undergo an abortion or sterilization procedure by threatening such person with the loss of, or disqualification for the receipt of, any benefit or service under a program receiving Federal financial assistance shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Family Planning and Population Research Act of 1975, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective July 1, 1975, see section 608 of Pub. L. 94–63, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1975 Amendment note under section 247b of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 300a–8

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110