Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care.
H. Res. 238 is a non-binding House resolution introduced in the 119th Congress. It expresses the sense of the House that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care. The resolution argues that bans and restrictions on reproductive health care can endanger patients and force providers to choose between delivering stabilizing emergency treatment or risking criminal prosecution. It emphasizes that criminalization and delays in emergency care disproportionately affect Black and Indigenous people, people of color, immigrants, low-income individuals, and LGBTQI+ people, and it calls for nondiscriminatory access to emergency care in emergency departments. As a resolution, it states a political position rather than create new legal rights or obligate agencies to take specific actions.
Key Points
- 1Expresses, as a sense of the House, that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care.
- 2Argues that state bans and restrictions on abortion in emergencies can compel providers to withhold necessary stabilizing care or face criminal liability, risking patients’ health and lives.
- 3Acknowledges that criminal penalties and restrictive laws disproportionately impact marginalized groups (e.g., Black and Indigenous people, people of color, immigrants, low-income individuals, LGBTQI+ individuals).
- 4Emphasizes that emergency department care should be accessible to all persons without discrimination and that delays or denials of emergency care endanger health and life.
- 5Highlights that abortion bans and related restrictions can create chaos or confusion that dissuades providers from delivering appropriate emergency medical care in critical situations.