Rep. Balint Introduces Stop Comstock Act to Prevent National Ban on Mailing Abortion Pills
This bill is currently in the House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees. It has not seen any action since March 2025, which means it has been stalled for over a year. The bill must be reviewed by these committees before it can move forward, but no progress has been made.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 8796 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 8796 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill removes broad language about 'indecent' and 'immoral' materials from federal mail and import laws. Historically, these provisions were used to target LGBTQ communities by banning the mailing of materials deemed 'immoral.' While such enforcement has largely stopped, eliminating the statutory language provides permanent protection against any future misuse of these provisions.
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.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Stop Comstock Act would repeal parts of the law that could be used by an anti-abortion administration to ban the mailing of mifepristone and other drugs used in medication abortions. While the bill is a good move, the author argues it should repeal the entire act, not just abortion language.
Senator Tina Smith and other Democrats are introducing the Stop Comstock Act to repeal the 19th-century law's abortion-related provisions. The move aims to prevent a future administration from using the law to bypass Congress and implement a nationwide ban on mailing abortion pills.
A coalition of advocacy organizations sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging him to hold a vote on the Stop Comstock Act. The groups argue that the 1873 law poses an immediate threat to reproductive healthcare access if weaponized by a future administration.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Stop Comstock Act
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