Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act

The Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act would codify and expand the Mexico City Policy into law. Under the bill, U.S. federal funding provided outside the United States could not be given to foreign or domestic organizations that perform or promote abortions, provide items intended to procure abortions, or fund entities that do so. The restriction also applies to domestic organizations that, within programs receiving federal funds, perform or promote abortion or fail to maintain complete physical and financial separation from abortion-related activities (including co-located programs). The prohibition extends to transfers of federal funds and goods financed with those funds and would override other laws when it comes to these funding decisions. The bill’s findings recount the policy history and advocate expanding the policy to cover foreign and domestic nongovernmental organizations, multilateral organizations, and subcontractors, with the stated aim of preventing policy inconsistencies across administrations.