Prohibiting Abortion Industry’s Lucrative Loopholes Act

The bill would tighten the prohibition on sale or transactions related to human fetal tissue by amending the Public Health Service Act. Specifically, it would strike the current paragraph that defines “valuable consideration” and replace it with a broader definition. Under the revised language, “valuable consideration” would include a wide range of forms of compensation and benefits—monetary payments, gifts or honoraria, forgiveness of debts or loans, waivers or reductions of charges, transfers of items or services with a customary charge, and payments tied to transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control, or storage of fetal tissue. By expanding what counts as valuable consideration, the bill aims to close loopholes that supporters argue allow the abortion industry to obtain or use fetal tissue through non-cash or indirect incentives, effectively prohibiting sales or transactions involving fetal tissue. The sponsors and intro details show it is a House bill introduced January 24, 2025, assigned to the Energy and Commerce Committee. If enacted, the change would strengthen and broaden the prohibition on financial and other forms of compensation associated with fetal tissue, potentially affecting how fetal tissue is procured, donated, or handled in research and related activities.