Congress·In Committee·H.R. 722

Congress Proposes Bill to Grant Legal Rights to Human Embryos from the Moment of Fertilization

Life at Conception Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Advances Federal Personhood Legislation for Embryos

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill, introduced by Mr. Burlison, would change federal law to say that a 'human person' exists from the very moment of fertilization. This means that embryos would be granted the same legal rights and protections as people who have already been born.
The main goal is to use the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees 'equal protection' under the law, to protect the lives of the unborn. By defining life as starting at fertilization, the bill aims to establish a federal right to life that could override state laws.
If passed, this could have a major impact on abortion access across the country. It might also affect fertility treatments like IVF, because those processes often involve creating embryos that are not used or are eventually destroyed.
The bill includes a specific rule stating that women cannot be prosecuted or charged with a crime for the death of their unborn child. This part is meant to focus legal consequences on providers rather than the pregnant person.
This policy would apply to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. It is currently in the early stages of the lawmaking process and would need to pass both the House and Senate and be signed by the President to become law.

HealthcareCivil RightsCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

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

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 24, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jan 24, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

2 articles

Fast Company·about 1 year ago

A Missouri Republican has introduced a federal abortion ban in the House

Republican Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri has introduced the Life at Conception Act, which proposes a federal ban on abortion by declaring unborn children as 'persons' under the 14th Amendment. The bill currently has nearly 70 cosponsors.

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The Hill·about 2 years ago

Democrats press GOP on IVF after Alabama ruling

Dozens of House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, have co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act. Democrats are highlighting the bill's lack of IVF protections following the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling on frozen embryos.