Makes it illegal for doctors to perform abortions if the reason is a Down syndrome diagnosis.
This bill would make it illegal for doctors or other medical staff to perform an abortion. This applies if they know the reason is that an unborn child has or might have Down syndrome. Doctors would also have to ask about Down syndrome diagnoses and tell women about this new ban. Breaking these rules could lead to criminal charges or civil lawsuits.
Today, federal law does not specifically prohibit abortions based on a Down syndrome diagnosis, nor does it require medical professionals to ask about such diagnoses or inform women of any related bans. If this bill becomes law, it would make it illegal for medical professionals to perform abortions if they know the reason is a Down syndrome diagnosis, and they would be required to inquire about diagnoses and inform women of this prohibition. Violators could face fines and up to 5 years in prison, and civil lawsuits would be possible.
HR 2251 · 119th Congress · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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