Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) have introduced the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, legislation aimed at protecting infants who survive abortion attempts by requiring medical care from healthcare practitioners.
The proposed act establishes specific requirements for healthcare providers, including expectations for medical care, mandatory hospital transfer procedures, and reporting obligations. It also introduces provisions for private rights of action for mothers and outlines criminal penalties for healthcare professionals who fail to comply with the law.
“Any baby born into this world, including those who survive an abortion attempt, must receive the medical care they need,” said Senator Britt. “The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would protect the most vulnerable babies and combat radical policies that effectively enable infanticide.”
The legislation builds on the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002, which recognized any newborn showing signs of life as a person. However, that law did not include enforcement measures to protect such infants. Proponents of the new legislation argue that these gaps have allowed instances of neglect following failed abortion attempts to persist.
Senator Lankford stated, “No child should be denied medical care simply because they are ‘unwanted.’ Today, if an abortion procedure fails and a child is born alive, doctors can just ignore the crying baby on the table and watch them slowly die of neglect. That’s not an abortion, that’s infanticide.”
The bill is supported by several organizations, including March for Life Action, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and National Right to Life, among others.
The measure has garnered widespread backing from Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.Dak.), Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senators from across the nation such as Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
If passed, the legislation would add enforceable protections for infants who survive abortion attempts and strengthen existing legal standards.
