WASHINGTON—Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-15), a member of the Pro-Life Caucus, today introduced the Prohibiting Abortion Industry’s Lucrative Loopholes Act. This pro-life bill will close existing loopholes to ensure that abortion organizations cannot profit off the sale of fetal remains.
Universities, labs, and other research institutions are allowed to use fetal tissue for scientific purposes. Currently, abortion organizations sell fetal tissue to these organizations, though they have been legally barred from making a profit on the sales since 1993. Abortion organizations have managed to exploit loopholes in the law through reimbursements, gifts, and shipping and processing fees under what is known as the “valuable consideration” clause. Current law does not place caps on these exceptions, leading to potentially limitless profits. Franklin’s bill will adjust the language of the existing law to close these loopholes.
“Abortion providers should never be allowed to profit off the death of innocent victims,” said Rep. Franklin. “The fact that they can exploit a loophole in the law to do so is a terrible congressional oversight that should have been addressed years ago. I’m proud to introduce this bill so we can close this loophole and block for-profit fetal tissue sales once and for all.”
Original co-sponsors of the Prohibiting Abortion Industry’s Lucrative Loopholes Act include:
Billy Long (MO-07), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Brian Babin (TX-36), Alex Mooney (WV-02), Ben Cline (VA-06), Brian Mast (FL-18), Jim Banks (IN-03), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Randy Weber (TX-14), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Jody Hice (GA-10), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Yvette Herrell (NM-02), Jake Ellzey (TX-06), Bob Good (VA-05), and Brad Wenstrup, DPM (OH-02).
A copy of the legislation can be accessed here.