Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025
The Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025 would bar the federal government from awarding funds to colleges and universities that host or are affiliated with campus-based health clinics (school-based service sites) that provide abortion drugs or perform abortions for students or employees. Institutions receiving federal funds would must annually certify to the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services that no such abortion services are provided at on-campus sites. The bill defines key terms (including what counts as an abortion drug and what constitutes a school-based service site) and includes a preemption provision to shield compliant institutions from certain state-law penalties. Overall, the measure aims to restrict federal funding to campuses where on-site clinics offer abortion services.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition on federal funds: No federal funds (direct or indirect, including contracts or subcontracts) may be awarded to an institution of higher education that hosts or is affiliated with a school-based service site that provides abortion drugs or abortions to students or to employees of the institution or site.
- 2Annual reporting: Institutions hosting or affiliated with on-campus clinics must submit an annual certification to the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services confirming that no such abortion services are provided at campus sites.
- 3Preemption: Institutions that comply with this section cannot be penalized under state law solely for complying with it.
- 4Definitions:
- 5- Abortion drug: Any drug or combination intended to or used to terminate a pregnancy, with certain exclusions related to live birth, removal of a dead fetus, or treatment of ectopic pregnancy.
- 6- School-based service site: A clinic on campus that provides health care services to students (including primary care, family planning, telehealth, and pharmaceutical services) and that accepts federal funding; hospitals are excluded from this definition.
- 7- Institution of higher education: As defined in the Higher Education Act.
- 8Scope of funding: Applies to both direct federal funds and funding awarded through contracts or subcontracts, and targets campuses that host or are affiliated with on-campus clinics offering abortion services.