Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

House Bill

H.R. 48

119th Congress

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 3, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Andy Biggs

R - AZ

Cosponsors

3

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Health

Summary

This bill requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before any abortion procedure and explain what the images show. Providers must display the ultrasound and describe the embryo or fetus including size, cardiac activity, and visible organs. Women may decline to view the images without penalty. Medical emergencies are exempt.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Introduced1/3/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

This bill requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before any abortion procedure and explain what the images show. Providers must display the ultrasound and describe the embryo or fetus including size, cardiac activity, and visible organs. Women ma

Community Breakdown

Pass

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Fail

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This bill requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before any abortion procedure and explain what the images show. Providers must display the ultrasound and describe the embryo or fetus including size, cardiac activity, and visible organs. Women may decline to view the images without penalty. Medical emergencies are exempt.

Bill Number: 48
Introduced: 1/3/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Policy Area: Health

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Ultrasound Informed Consent Act
Bill Number: 48
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced: 1/3/2025
Summary: This bill requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before any abortion procedure and explain what the images show. Providers must display the ultrasound and describe the embryo or fetus including size, cardiac activity, and visible organs. Women may decline to view the images without pen

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill requires abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before any abortion procedure and explain what the images show. Providers must display the ultrasound and describe the embryo or fetus including size, cardiac activity, and visible organs. Women may decline to view the images without penalty. Medical emergencies are exempt.

Last updated: 1/6/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Ultrasound Informed Consent ActThis bill requires abortion providers to conduct an ultrasound before performing an abortion.Specifically, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, the abortion provider must<ul><li>perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman;</li><li>provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting;</li><li>display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them; and</li><li>provide a complete medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable.</li></ul>Providers are subject to civil actions and penalties for violations.The bill's ultrasound requirements do not apply in cases where a physical disorder, illness, or injury endangers a woman's life. A woman is also not required to view the ultrasound images; nor may she or the provider be penalized if she declines to do so.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Mandates pre-abortion ultrasound by providers
Requires explanation of ultrasound images to patients
Providers must describe embryo or fetus dimensions and cardiac activity
Women may decline to view images without penalty
Exempts cases where pregnancy endangers life

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Women seeking abortions would receive ultrasound examinations before the procedure. Providers would face civil penalties for non-compliance. The requirement does not apply in medical emergencies, and women cannot be penalized for choosing not to view the images.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Health

Related Subjects

Abortion

Civil actions and liability

Health information and medical records

Medical ethics

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Sex and reproductive health

Women's health

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

48, 119th Congress (2025). "Ultrasound Informed Consent Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-48

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