Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
This bill amends federal law to strengthen legal protections and penalties against attacks on pregnancy resource centers and religious facilities, treating violence or threats against these centers similarly to crimes against places of worship.
Why it matters: The legislation directly protects facilities that counsel women about abortion alternatives and explicitly links those centers to religious freedom protections, affirming the sanctity of life and securing the safety of organizations that serve Christian convictions on abortion.
Topic: Sanctity of life · classifier confidence 95%
What this changes
Amends existing law
Law today: 18 U.S.C. § 248 currently prohibits force, threat, obstruction, or intimidation against abortion providers and clinics, as well as against places of religious worship. The statute provides penalties and remedies for violations.
If passed: This bill would extend the federal protections in 18 U.S.C. § 248 to pregnancy resource centers (facilities that counsel women about abortion alternatives), bringing them under the same legal safeguards against violence, threats, obstruction, and intimidation that already protect abortion clinics and religious buildings. Christian families who operate or support pregnancy counseling ministries would gain federal legal recourse if their facilities are attacked or threatened.
AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.
Likely supporters & opponents
Likely support
- Pro-life advocacy organizations — Pregnancy resource centers deserve the same federal legal protection from violence and intimidation as abortion clinics, especially when those centers are faith-based and motivated by religious conviction.
- Religious-liberty advocacy organizations — Many pregnancy resource centers are religiously affiliated and their staff and visitors should have federal protection from attacks on their place of ministry.
Likely opposition
- Abortion-rights advocacy organizations — This bill inappropriately equates pregnancy resource centers with medical abortion clinics and may be used to discourage legitimate protest or criticism of centers accused of deceptive practices.
AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.
Should I support this?
Likely helpful for Christian families
The bill expands federal legal protection for Christian-operated pregnancy counseling ministries against violence and intimidation, reinforcing parental and religious freedom without imposing new burdens on families. It treats faith-based alternatives to abortion the same way the law already protects houses of worship.
An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.
Official summary
To amend section 248 of title 18, United States Code, to provide adequate penalties and remedies for attacks on facilities providing counseling about abortion alternatives and attacks on places of religious worship.
Sponsors
- Claudia Tenney (R)
Status timeline
- 2025-01-22Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.H
- 2025-01-22Introduced in HouseH
H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly