Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act

Plain-English Summary

This bill would effectively ban mifepristone, a medication currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that is used to end pregnancies in their early stages. The bill states that the FDA's existing approval for mifepristone would be treated as if it had been officially withdrawn, meaning the drug could no longer be legally sold or distributed in the United States for the purpose of ending a pregnancy. Mifepristone is one of two drugs commonly used together in what is often called a "medication abortion," and it is currently the most common method of abortion in the United States.

In addition to removing mifepristone's approval, the bill would create a new federal legal right to sue — called a "federal tort" — allowing women who believe they were harmed by mifepristone or other drugs used for medication abortion to take legal action in federal court. This means a woman (or potentially others acting on her behalf) could seek financial damages if they claim physical, emotional, or other harm resulted from using these drugs.

This bill would affect women of reproductive age who might seek or currently use medication abortion, as well as doctors, pharmacists, and healthcare providers who prescribe or dispense these medications. It would also impact the broader healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. The bill has been referred to two House committees — the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary — where it will be reviewed before any further legislative action takes place.