H.R. 6466 — Forced Abortion Prevention and Accountability Act

This section establishes in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 74 a new offense (§1532) prohibiting whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly and intentionally administers to a pregnant woman an abortion-inducing drug (e.g., mifepristone or misoprostol) without her informed consent, with penalties of a fine, imprisonment for not more than 25 years, or both; applies the same penalties to attempts and conspiracies (including selling, shipping, mailing, or giving such a drug without reasonable measures to ensure the recipient is a pregnant woman seeking an abortion); and imposes an additional term of imprisonment for not more than 25 years if the offense results in serious bodily injury or death to the woman. (As background, Chapter 74 currently prohibits partial-birth abortions under §1531.) It further authorizes a civil action by the affected woman against the offender for compensatory damages, statutory damages equal to three times the cost of injuries, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney's fees (with fees also awarded to a prevailing defendant if the suit is frivolous). The section defines key terms—including "abortion," "abortion-inducing drug," "informed consent," "serious bodily injury" (as in 18 U.S.C. §1365), and "unborn child" (as in 18 U.S.C. §1841)—and makes conforming amendments to the chapter heading and table of chapters for part I of title 18, changing "Partial-birth abortions" to "Abortions."