S. 242: Dignity for Aborted Children Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-24 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE] |
| Policy area | Health |
| Cosponsors | 12 |
| Latest action | 2025-01-24 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. |
| Last updated | 2025-12-05 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-24):
Dignity for Aborted Children Act
This bill establishes requirements for abortion providers with respect to the disposal of human fetal tissue from an abortion.
Specifically, it requires abortion providers to obtain a patient's informed consent for one of two specified methods of disposition and to retain the corresponding documentation in the patient's file.
First, patients may choose to retain possession of the tissue. A patient may choose to transfer the tissue to an entity that provides interment or cremation services.
Second, patients may choose to release the tissue to the provider. Providers must ensure any tissue released to them is interred or cremated within seven days of the procedure in a manner consistent with state law regarding the disposal of human remains.
Abortion providers must submit reports annually to the Department of Health and Human Services about these requirements and other specified information.
The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of the requirement to retain documentation of informed consent, and it establishes criminal penalties for violations of the requirement regarding the disposal of human fetal tissue.
Cosponsors (12)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| James Lankford | R OK (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Tim Sheehy | R MT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Jim Banks | R IN (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Steve Daines | R MT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| James E. Risch | R ID (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Mike Rounds | R SD (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Roger F. Wicker | R MS (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Eric Schmitt | R MO (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| James C. Justice | R WV (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Thom Tillis | R NC (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| Josh Hawley | R MO (original cosponsor) 2025-01-24 |
| John Cornyn | R TX 2025-08-01 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 242 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 242?
S. 242 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Dignity for Aborted Children Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 242 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).