Protecting the Dignity of Unborn Children Act of 2021

Protecting the Dignity of Unborn Children Act of 2021

This bill establishes a new criminal offense for recklessly disposing of or abandoning fetal remains in a landfill or in any navigable waters of the United States.

The term fetal remains means any part (except a cremated part) of a deceased human fetus following an abortion.

A violator is subject to a fine, up to three years in prison, or both.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 555 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 555

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the unlawful 
           disposal of fetal remains, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2021

 Mr. Latta (for himself, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Harris, Mr. Moore of Alabama, 
Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mr. Babin, Mrs. Lesko, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Grothman, Mr. 
  Rogers of Kentucky, Mr. LaTurner, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. 
    Carl, Mr. Banks, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Hice of Georgia, Mr. Joyce of 
 Pennsylvania, Mrs. Boebert, Mr. Rosendale, Mr. Guest, Mr. Waltz, Mrs. 
  Fischbach, Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Norman, Mr. 
Allen, Mr. Budd, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Mr. Balderson, Mr. Davidson, 
Ms. Herrell, and Mr. Jackson) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the unlawful 
           disposal of fetal remains, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting the Dignity of Unborn 
Children Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING UNLAWFUL DISPOSAL OF FETAL REMAINS.

    Part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

           ``CHAPTER 125--UNLAWFUL DISPOSAL OF FETAL REMAINS

``SEC. 2741. UNLAWFUL DISPOSAL OF FETAL REMAINS.

    ``(a) In General.--Whoever recklessly disposes of or abandons fetal 
remains in a landfill or in any of the navigable waters of the United 
States shall be imprisoned not more than 3 years or fined under this 
title, or both.
    ``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the disposal of 
the remains of her unborn child.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Fetal remains.--The term `fetal remains' means any 
        part of a human fetus that is deceased by reason of an 
        abortion, but does not include any such part that has been 
        cremated.
            ``(2) Landfill.--The term `landfill' means a sanitary 
        landfill, as such term is defined in section 1004(26) of the 
        Solid Waste Disposal Act.
            ``(3) Navigable waters.--The term `navigable waters' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 502(7) of the Federal 
        Water Pollution Control Act.''.
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