H.R. 8297 · 117th Congress

Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022

Introduced on Jul 7, 2022 by Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7). 182 cosponsors, all from the sponsor's party. Latest action (Jul 18, 2022): Received in the Senate.

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Jul 7, 2022
Cosponsors
182
0 from the other party
Policy area
Health
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Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To prohibit the interference, under color of State law, with the provision of interstate abortion services, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Abortion
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
  • Drug therapy
  • Health care coverage and access
  • Health personnel
  • Right of privacy
  • Sex and reproductive health
  • Women's health

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Passed House, Jul 15, 2022). Public domain.

Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act

This bill prohibits anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person's ability to access out-of-state abortion services. (Abortion services includes the use of any drugs that are approved to terminate pregnancies and any health care services related to an abortion, whether or not provided at the same time or on the same day.)

Specifically, the bill prohibits any person acting under state law from preventing, restricting, impeding, or retaliating against

  • health care providers who provide legal abortion services to out-of-state residents,
  • any person or entity who helps health care providers to provide such services,
  • any person who travels to another state to obtain such services,
  • any person or entity who helps another person travel to another state to obtain such services, or
  • the movement in interstate commerce of drugs that are approved to terminate pregnancies.

The Department of Justice may enforce this bill through civil actions; the bill also establishes a private right of action for violations.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Lizzie FletcherD-TX-7Sponsor

Democrats · 182

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Motion to Recommit
    Jul 15, 2022· House· Procedural· Failed 209–219
  2. On Passage
    Jul 15, 2022· House· Passage· Passed 223–205

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Jul 7, 2022Introduced in House
  2. Jul 7, 2022Introduced in House
  3. Jul 7, 2022 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  4. Jul 13, 2022 · HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1224 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7900, S. 3373, H.R. 8296, H.R. 8297 and H.R. 6538 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order.
  5. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseConsidered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1224. (consideration: CR H6647-6660)
  6. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseRule provides for consideration of H.R. 7900, S. 3373, H.R. 8296, H.R. 8297 and H.R. 6538 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order.
  7. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 8297.
  8. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseThe previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  9. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseMr. Johnson (LA) moved to recommit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (text: CR H6659-6660)
  10. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
  11. Jul 15, 2022 · HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 8297, the Chair put the question on the Johnson(LA) motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Johnson (LA) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
  12. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6661-6663)
  13. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseOn motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 209 - 219 (Roll no. 361).House · Roll call 361
  14. Jul 15, 2022Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 223 - 205 (Roll no. 362).House · Roll call 362
  15. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseOn passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 223 - 205 (Roll no. 362). (text: CR H6647)House · Roll call 362
  16. Jul 15, 2022 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  17. Jul 18, 2022 · SenateReceived in the Senate.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.