H.R. 1997 Text
4-1-04
Became Public Law 108-212
3-25-04
Bill
Passed Senate 61-38
2-26-04
Bill Passed House 254-163
One Hundred Eighth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four
An Act
To amend title 18, United States Code, and the Uniform Code of Military
Justice to protect unborn children from assault and murder, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004' or `Laci
and Conner's Law'.
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN.
(a) IN GENERAL- Title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
chapter 90 the following:
`CHAPTER 90A--PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN
`Sec.
`1841. Protection of unborn children.
`Sec. 1841. Protection of unborn children
`(a)(1) Whoever engages in conduct that violates any of the provisions of
law listed in subsection (b) and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury
(as defined in section 1365) to, a child, who is in utero at the time the
conduct takes place, is guilty of a separate offense under this section.
`(2)(A) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the punishment for
that separate offense is the same as the punishment provided under Federal
law for that conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's
mother.
`(B) An offense under this section does not require proof that--
`(i) the person engaging in the conduct had knowledge or should have had
knowledge that the victim of the underlying offense was pregnant; or
`(ii) the defendant intended to cause the death of, or bodily injury to,
the unborn child.
`(C) If the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or
attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall instead of being punished
under subparagraph (A), be punished as provided under sections 1111, 1112,
and 1113 of this title for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human
being.
`(D) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not
be imposed for an offense under this section.
`(b) The provisions referred to in subsection (a) are the following:
`(1) Sections 36, 37, 43, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 229, 242, 245, 247, 248,
351, 831, 844(d), (f), (h)(1),
and (i), 924(j), 930, 1111, 1112, 1113, 1114, 1116, 1118, 1119, 1120, 1121,
1153(a), 1201(a), 1203, 1365(a), 1501, 1503, 1505, 1512, 1513, 1751, 1864,
1951, 1952 (a)(1)(B), (a)(2)(B), and (a)(3)(B), 1958, 1959, 1992, 2113, 2114,
2116, 2118, 2119, 2191, 2231, 2241(a), 2245, 2261, 2261A, 2280, 2281, 2332,
2332a, 2332b, 2340A, and 2441 of this title.
`(2) Section 408(e) of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C.
848(e)).
`(3) Section 202 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2283).
`(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the prosecution--
`(1) of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent
of the pregnant woman, or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf,
has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law;
`(2) of any person for any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her
unborn child; or
`(3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.
`(d) As used in this section, the term `unborn child' means a child in utero,
and the term `child in utero' or `child, who is in utero' means a member of
the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the
womb.'.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of chapters for part I of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 90
the following new item:
1841'.
SEC. 3. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM.
(a) PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN- Subchapter X of chapter 47 of title 10,
United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), is amended by inserting
after section 919 (article 119) the following new section:
`Sec. 919a. Art. 119a. Death or injury of an unborn child
`(a)(1) Any person subject to this chapter who engages in conduct that violates
any of the provisions of law listed in subsection (b) and thereby causes the
death of, or bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of title 18) to, a
child, who is in utero at the time the conduct takes place, is guilty of a
separate offense under this section and shall, upon conviction, be punished
by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct, which
shall be consistent with the punishments prescribed by the President for that
conduct had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother.
`(2) An offense under this section does not require proof that--
`(i) the person engaging in the conduct had knowledge or should have had
knowledge that the victim of the underlying offense was pregnant; or
`(ii) the accused intended to cause the death of, or bodily injury to, the
unborn child.
`(3) If the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or
attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall, instead of being punished
under paragraph (1), be punished as provided under sections 880, 918, and
919(a) of this title (articles 80, 118, and 119(a)) for intentionally killing
or attempting to kill a human being.
`(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not
be imposed for an offense under this section.
`(b) The provisions referred to in subsection (a) are sections 918, 919(a),
919(b)(2), 920(a), 922, 924, 926, and 928 of this title (articles 118, 119(a),
119(b)(2), 120(a), 122, 124, 126, and 128).
`(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the prosecution--
`(1) of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent
of the pregnant woman, or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf,
has been obtained or for which such consent is implied by law;
`(2) of any person for any medical treatment of the pregnant woman or her
unborn child; or
`(3) of any woman with respect to her unborn child.
`(d) In this section, the term `unborn child' means a child in utero, and
the term `child in utero' or `child, who is in utero' means a member of the
species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.'.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such subchapter
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 919 the following
new item:
`919a. 119a. Death or injury of an unborn child.'.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.
END