Sen. Rounds and Senate Republicans Push for National Ban on Dismemberment Abortions
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time, and the bill is not moving forward. There is no companion bill mentioned for this legislation.
This bill faces strong opposition in a divided Senate and would likely need 60 votes to move forward, which it currently lacks.
The bill makes it a federal crime for a doctor to perform a specific second-trimester abortion method (D&E, called 'dismemberment abortion' in the bill) using tools like clamps or forceps. Women who need or want this method, often because it is the safest and most common option later in pregnancy, would lose access to it nationwide, though the woman herself cannot be prosecuted and other abortion methods remain legal.
“Any physician who, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly performs a dismemberment abortion and thereby kills an unborn child shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds introduced the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026 on the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision. The bill would prohibit dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedures, with doctors facing up to two years in prison for violations.
Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith and Senator Mike Rounds introduced legislation to establish a federal prohibition on dismemberment abortions. The act targets the D&E method and includes criminal penalties for physicians while exempting women from prosecution.
Originally introduced by Rep. Kat Cammack in April, the bill has been analyzed by the Congressional Research Service. It seeks to amend Title 18 to prohibit dismemberment abortions, allowing for civil actions by women or parents of minors against providers who violate the ban.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026
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