Restoring Safeguards for Dangerous Abortion Drugs Act | ChamberLight
Bills · HR 5646
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 5646Health
Restoring Safeguards for Dangerous Abortion Drugs Act
INTRO SEP 30· LAST ACTION SEP 30
READING
4MIN
COSPONSORS
8
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
Voters should care about this bill because it represents a major change in policy regarding medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S. If this bill becomes law, it would significantly limit access to mifepristone by reinstating stricter dispensing requirements from 2011, which likely means an end to telehealth prescriptions and mail delivery. This would create new barriers for patients, potentially forcing them to travel further and take more time off work or childcare to access care.
The bill also matters because it creates new legal risks for healthcare providers and pharmacies involved in distributing mifepristone, and it outright bans the importation of the drug. This could lead to fewer providers offering medication abortion and could increase legal challenges within the healthcare system. Essentially, this bill seeks to roll back current regulations and introduce new legal liabilities, fundamentally altering how and if medication abortion can be accessed in the United States.
KEY PROVISIONS
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PROVISION 01
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withdraw the current rules for mifepristone and approve rules identical to those from June 2011 within 90 days.
This provision would revert to stricter dispensing requirements for mifepristone, likely ending mail-order and telehealth access.
PROVISION 02
Creates a new pathway for individuals to sue telehealth providers, pharmacies, or others who knowingly import or transport mifepristone in violation of specific federal law, if harm is caused.
This would expose providers and others to civil liability for physical or mental harm if the drug was provided through legally questionable channels.
PROVISION 03
Amends federal law to explicitly ban the importation of mifepristone into the United States by any person, including by mail.
This provision would stop all legal and illegal entry of mifepristone into the country, severely limiting its availability.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
Voters should care about this bill because it represents a major change in policy regarding medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S. If this bill becomes law, it would significantly limit access to mifepristone by reinstating stricter dispensing requirements from 2011, which likely means an end to telehealth prescriptions and mail delivery. This would create new barriers for patients, potentially forcing them to travel further and take more time off work or childcare to access care.
The bill also matters because it creates new legal risks for healthcare providers and pharmacies involved in distributing mifepristone, and it outright bans the importation of the drug. This could lead to fewer providers offering medication abortion and could increase legal challenges within the healthcare system. Essentially, this bill seeks to roll back current regulations and introduce new legal liabilities, fundamentally altering how and if medication abortion can be accessed in the United States.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withdraw the current rules for mifepristone and approve rules identical to those from June 2011 within 90 days.
This provision would revert to stricter dispensing requirements for mifepristone, likely ending mail-order and telehealth access.
med
Creates a new pathway for individuals to sue telehealth providers, pharmacies, or others who knowingly import or transport mifepristone in violation of specific federal law, if harm is caused.
This would expose providers and others to civil liability for physical or mental harm if the drug was provided through legally questionable channels.
high
Amends federal law to explicitly ban the importation of mifepristone into the United States by any person, including by mail.
This provision would stop all legal and illegal entry of mifepristone into the country, severely limiting its availability.
Compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney's fees and costs
A covered entity (telehealth provider, pharmacy, or any other person knowingly importing or transporting mifepristone in violation of section 1462 of title 18, United States Code)
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Mifepristone
A medication, also known as Mifeprex or RU-486, used for medication abortion and to manage certain medical conditions.
Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)
A program required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain medications with serious safety concerns to ensure the benefits of the medication outweigh its risks. It includes specific requirements for doctors, pharmacists, and patients.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
The head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a federal agency responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
Civil Action
A lawsuit brought in court by one person (or entity) against another, seeking to enforce a right or to gain compensation for a wrong, rather than to punish a crime.
Compensatory Damages
Money awarded to a person in a lawsuit to cover actual losses or injuries, such as medical bills or lost wages.
Punitive Damages
Money awarded in a lawsuit beyond compensatory damages, intended to punish the wrongdoer for particularly harmful behavior and to deter others from similar actions.
Telehealth Provider
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
SEP 30, 25
Introduced in House
INTROREFERRAL
SEP 30, 25
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
A healthcare professional or service that provides medical care remotely, typically using technology like video calls or phone calls, rather than in-person visits.
