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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 2029

Rep. Balint Introduces Stop Comstock Act to Prevent National Ban on Mailing Abortion Pills

Stop Comstock Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill would remove 19th-century language from federal law that currently makes it illegal to mail or import items used for abortions. It specifically strikes references to 'means for procuring abortion' and items of 'indecent or immoral use' from multiple federal statutes.
  • The bill is designed to prevent the Comstock Act of 1873 from being used to create a de facto national ban on mailing abortion medication or medical equipment. By removing the outdated language, it would block any administration from enforcing those old provisions without Congress passing a new law.
  • If passed, pharmacies, doctors, and patients could continue sending and receiving reproductive healthcare supplies — including abortion pills — through the U.S. Postal Service and other carriers without fear of federal prosecution.
  • The bill also updates the Tariff Act of 1930 to remove import restrictions on abortion-related materials, striking language that currently bars items intended to produce 'unlawful abortion' from entering the country.
  • While the bill removes abortion-related restrictions from the mail and import laws, it keeps in place federal prohibitions on mailing truly obscene materials, narrowing the law's scope to focus only on obscenity.
HealthcareCivil RightsCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 11, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Mar 11, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon enactment

If enacted, the outdated Comstock Act language would be immediately removed from federal law

Pharmacies, doctors, and patients could mail and receive abortion medication and reproductive health supplies without any risk of federal prosecution under these old statutes

Related Bills

1 bill
S. 951Identical bill

Stop Comstock Act

Mar 11 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Stop Comstock Act

Bill NumberHR 2029
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(143)
D: 143

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.