117 HR 8926 IH: Protect Pregnancy Care Centers Act of 2022
U.S. House of Representatives
2022-09-20
text/xml
EN
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I
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8926
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 20, 2022
Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mrs. Rodgers of Washington, Mrs. Lesko, Mrs. Hinson, Mr. Banks, Mr. Harris, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Good of Virginia, Mr. Norman, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Guest, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. C. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Babin, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Latta, Mr. Bentz, Mr. Wenstrup, Mr. Gooden of Texas, Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Buck, Mr. Mann, and Mr. Duncan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To require an Inspector General report on domestic violent extremism against pregnancy centers.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Pregnancy Care Centers Act of 2022”.
2.

Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
(1)
Pregnancy centers are community-based, non-profit organizations that provide compassionate support and resources to women and couples facing unexpected pregnancy and offer life-affirming alternatives to abortion.
(2)
In 2019 alone, 2,700 pregnancy centers across the United States provided almost 2,000,000 people free services and material items that were estimated to be worth approximately $270,000,000.
(3)
The services, which are generally provided at no cost to the patient, included almost 732,000 pregnancy tests, more than 486,000 free ultrasounds, 160,200 STI/STD tests, offering more than 291,000 clients parenting and prenatal education programs, offering more than 21,000 clients after-abortion support, offering more than 881,000 students sexual risk avoidance education presentations, providing nearly 1.3 million packs of diapers, providing more than two million baby outfits, providing over 30,000 new car seats, and providing over 19,000 strollers.
(4)
In 2019 alone, pregnancy centers were served by 68,832 workers and 80 percent of these workers (53,855) were volunteers. The pregnancy centers employed nearly 3,800 licensed medical staff, and over 6,400 licensed medical professionals volunteered their time and skills. In total, 10,215 licensed medical staff provided care through pregnancy centers across the Nation.
(5)
From 2016 to 2020, an estimated 828,131 unborn babies’ lives have been saved through the work of pregnancy care centers.
(6)
Section 248 of title 18, United States Code, established penalties (including prison sentences) for anyone who intentionally damages or destroys the property of a pregnancy center or “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure” any person because he or she is obtaining services from or providing services at a pregnancy center.
(7)
In June 2022, the Department of Homeland Security issued a Summary of Terrorism Threat to the United States highlighting the danger posed by domestic violent extremists, but this term is not defined in statute and a common definition does not exist within Federal agencies.
(8)
On Friday, June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision holding, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives”.
(9)
Seven weeks earlier, on Monday, May 2, 2022, a leaked draft opinion was published, constituting an unprecedented attack on the judicial branch.
(10)
Following the Dobbs leak, the United States saw a rise of domestic violent extremism against pro-life centers and organizations, pregnancy care centers, and religious institutions. These terror attacks included arson, fire bombings, vandalism, and other property damage.
(11)
Pregnancy centers alone reported more than 60 attacks between May 3, 2022, and August 21, 2022.
(12)
On May 3, 2022, Trotter House in Austin, Texas, was vandalized and perpetrators graffitied derogatory comments as well as digging up memorial bricks and throwing them into the grass.
(13)
On May 4, 2022, CareNet in Frederick, Maryland, was also vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti.
(14)
On May 5, 2022, the Southeast Portland Pregnancy Resource Center in Portland, Oregon, had its windows broken and the building was spray painted.
(15)
First Step Pregnancy Resource Center in Bangor, Maine, reported that its sign and sign holder were ripped off.
(16)
On May 7, 2022, both First Care Women’s Health in Manassas, Virginia, and Loreto House in Denton, Texas, were vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti.
(17)
On Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022, after the Office of Wisconsin Family Action was set on fire, a “Communiqué” posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” stated, “This was only a warning . . . Wisconsin is the first flashpoint, but we are all over the US, and we will issue no further warnings.”.
(18)
The Communiqué further stated, “We demand the disbanding of all anti-choice establishments, fake clinics, and violent anti-choice groups within the next thirty days . . .” and “we will not stop, we will not back down”.
(19)
Between May 7–8, 2022, Woman to Woman Pregnancy Resource Center in Denton, Texas, was vandalized.
(20)
On May 15, 2022, BirthRight of Frederick in Frederick, Maryland, was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti.
(21)
On May 11, 2022, Family Life Services in Ypsilanti, Michigan, was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti.
(22)
On May 13, 2022, Alpha Pregnancy Center in Reisterstown, Maryland, was vandalized with spray paint of pro-abortion messages that were signed “Jane’s Revenge”.
(23)
On May 15, 2022, His Nesting Place Home for Mothers & Children in Long Beach, California, was attacked.
(24)
On May 25, 2022, Next Step Pregnancy Services in Lynnwood, Washington, was vandalized with graffiti reading “if abortion isn’t safe, then you aren’t either” and signed “Jane’s Revenge”.
(25)
On May 18, 2022, employees’ cars and the sign at Women’s Hope Medical Clinic in Auburn, Alabama, were keyed.
(26)
On May 27, 2022, Dove Medical Clinic in Eugene, Oregon, was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti.
(27)
Between May 28, 2022, and May 30, 2022, South Broward Pregnancy Center in Hollywood, Florida, was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti stating “if abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either” and signed “Jane’s Revenge”.
(28)
On May 30, 2022, a statement posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” called for a “Night of Rage”, saying, “[w]e need them to be afraid of us”, “[carry] that anger out into the world and [express] it physically”, and “[to] those who work to oppress us: If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either. We are everywhere.”.
(29)
On June 2, 2022, the Community Pregnancy Center in Anchorage, Alaska, was spray painted with pro-abortion graffiti, had its front door broken, and had nails placed upright in the parking lot.
(30)
On June 2, 2022, Agape Pregnancy Center in Des Moines, Iowa, was spray painted with vulgar pro-abortion messages like “god loves abortion” and its windows were broken. A statement posted on social media and signed “Jane’s Revenge” claimed responsibility.
(31)
On June 3, 2022, pro-abortion graffiti referencing Jane’s Revenge was spray painted on the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center in Washington, DC.
(32)
On the weekend of June 4–5, 2022, pro-abortion posters were plastered on the on the door of CareNet Pregnancy & Family Services of Puget Sound in Federal Way, Washington. CareNet’s sign was also shredded.
(33)
On June 6, 2022, the windows of Mountain Area Pregnancy Services in Asheville, North Carolina, were smashed and the sidewalk was spray painted with “if abortions aren’t safe, then neither are you”.
(34)
On June 7, 2022, CompassCare Pregnancy Services in Buffalo, New York, was firebombed and graffitied. A statement posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” claimed responsibility.
(35)
On June 8, 2022, or June 9, 2022, Options 360 in Vancouver, Washington, was vandalized with red paint and graffiti saying “Jane was here.”.
(36)
On June 10, 2022, a fire at Gresham Pregnancy Resource Center in Gresham, Oregon, was labeled by police as “suspicious”.
(37)
On June 11, 2022, HOPE Pregnancy Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had its windows smashed and graffiti was spray painted on the building.
(38)
On June 14, 2022, another “Communiqué” posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” stated, “We have demonstrated in the past month how easy and fun it is to attack . . . From here forward, any anti-choice group who closes their doors, and stops operating will no longer be a target. But until you do, it’s open season, and we know where your operations are.”.
(39)
On June 15, 2022, 126 House Republicans sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Department of Justice to investigate these acts of domestic terrorism.
(40)
On June 19, 2022, the Lennon Center in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was vandalized, leaving windows smashed and 3 glass doors shattered. The Pregnancy Counseling Center of Redford Township, Michigan, was graffitied. A statement posted online claimed responsibility for both attacks and said “Jane will have her revenge”.
(41)
On June 24, 2022, Pregnancy Resource Center of Salt Lake City in Salt Lake City, Utah, was vandalized.
(42)
On June 25, 2022, Life Choices in Longmont, Colorado, was vandalized with spray paint of pro-abortion propaganda.
(43)
On June 25, 2022, Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in Lynchburg, Virginia, was vandalized with pro-abortion spray paint which said “if abortion aint safe, you aint safe”, among other pro-abortion propaganda.
(44)
On June 25, 2022, Tree of Life Pregnancy Support Center in Paso Robles, California, had its windows broken and was vandalized with spray painted symbols. Police shared that Jane’s Revenge had sent Tree of Life a letter saying that they intended to cause harm and damage the center.
(45)
On June 25, 2022, a statement posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” claimed responsibility for attacking Avenues Pregnancy Center in Glendale, California, with spray paint saying “if abortions aren’t safe neither are you”. Jane’s Revenge also posted a “communiqué”. The statement said, “We will hunt you down and make your lives a living hell. You started this war but we will win it. So far its just been pregnancy crisis centers, but tomorrow it might be your cars, your homes, or even your lives. We support a diversity of tactics and we will not step down in this fight.”.
(46)
On June 25, 2022, Jane’s Revenge published on its website, “Everyone with the urge to paint, to burn, to cut, to jam: now is the time. Go forth and manifest the things you wish to see.”.
(47)
On June 25, 2022, Options Health in Concord, California, and Informed Choices in Iowa City, Iowa, were vandalized.
(48)
Between June 25 and June 26, 2022, Heart to Heart Pregnancy Center in Cortez, Colorado, was vandalized.
(49)
Between June 25 and June 26, 2022, pro-abortion extremists claimed responsibility for attacking some of the donors of First Image in Portland, Oregon.
(50)
Between June 25 and June 26, 2022, pro-abortion graffiti saying “Your time is up”, “We’re coming for U” and “Jane’s revenge” was spray painted on LifeChoice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven, Florida.
(51)
On June 26, 2022, a statement posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge lives!” claimed responsibility for attacks against BirthRight in Burlington, Vermont.
(52)
On June 29, 2022, a statement posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” claimed responsibility for their an attack on Two Hearts Pregnancy Aid in Everett, Washington, on June 27, 2022, stating that the perpetrators had “a smashing time with their window glass and a flaming cocktail”.
(53)
On June 29, 2022, police found a smashed window and a Molotov cocktail-style device inside Hope Clinic for Women in Nashville, Tennessee.
(54)
Overnight between June 27–28, 2022, three rocks were used to break the window of A Woman’s Friend Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Yuba City, California.
(55)
On June 30, 2022, it was reported that Pathways Pregnancy Center Littleton, New Hampshire, was vandalized with pro-abortion propaganda.
(56)
On July 3, 2022, Pregnancy Help Medical Clinic in Hialeah, Florida, was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti and appeared to connect itself with Jane’s Revenge.
(57)
On July 4, 2022, two windows were broken at Birthright in St. Paul, Minnesota, and pro-abortion messages were also graffitied on the building.
(58)
On July 4, 2022, a rock was thrown through the window at Care Net of Puget Sound Pregnancy Clinic and an American flag was burned on the property.
(59)
On July 5, 2022, paint was splattered on the sign, exterior walls, and windows of the center at the Arches New Hope Pregnancy Center in Moab, Utah.
(60)
On July 6, 2022, the front window of the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia was smashed and their wall was vandalized. A statement posted online and signed “Jane’s Revenge” later claimed responsibility.
(61)
On July 7, 2022, Problem Pregnancy Resource Center and Clearway Clinic in Worchester, Massachusetts, was vandalized. “Jane’s Revenge” was written on the sidewalk outside both clinics.
(62)
On July 12, 2022, Woman’s New Life Clinic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was vandalized.
(63)
On July 12, 2022, the executive director of the Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Sacramento, California, testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary that “we had to call police when a man approached our care center with threats and a machete.”.
(64)
The director testified, “Our Sacramento center has been forced to hire 24-hour on-site security. We’ve had to reinforce doors and bulletproof walls and windows. We’ve removed rocks from our landscaping to inhibit vandalism. We’ve painted the building with graffiti-proof coating. We’ve added cameras, armed our staff with pepper spray, and stopped running our mobile clinic because of threats of violence. My staff and I live on constant alert. We have been forced to expend valuable resources on these crucial safety measures, so we can continue to provide the women of our community with free medical care and services in the safest possible environment.”.
(65)
The director further testified, “What we do is worth the risk. There is a place for clinics like ours in every community—a place for women facing unplanned pregnancies who are seeking dependable medical resources in a safe, caring environment during one of the most difficult times of their lives.”.
(66)
On July 26, 2022, it was reported that the front window at Northfield Women’s Clinic had been broken and that the clinic had been vandalized with spray paint.
(67)
On August 1, 2022, the director of Abria Pregnancy Resources in St. Paul, Minnesota, reported discovering that the center’s glass doors had been shattered that it had been vandalized with red graffiti reading, “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”.
(68)
On June 21, 2022, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, along with 18 other State Attorney Generals, sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging the investigation and prosecution of recent attacks.
(69)
On June 24, 2022, Rep. Ken Buck led a letter with more than 40 members of Congress to Attorney General Merrick Garland to “stop the violence and protest the rights of all Americans”.
(70)
In a June 25 statement on the Dobbs ruling, Attorney General Merrick Garland committed to protect abortion clinics, providers, and abortion-seeking individuals, but he failed to recognize the systematic injury of the pregnancy centers.
(71)
On June 27, 2022, Sen. Thom Tillis led a letter with 18 other Senators and Members of Congress to Attorney General Merrick Garland to prevent future attacks and hold perpetrators of violence responsible for their actions.
(72)
On June 28, 2022, Rep. Ted Budd led a letter with 20 House members to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding Department of Justice action.
(73)
The Biden Administration has failed to identify the threats, violence, and calls to violence against pregnancy centers as the work of domestic violent extremists.
3.

Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1)
terror attacks against pregnancy centers, including arson, fire bombings, vandalism, and other property damage, violate section 248 of title 18, United States Code, and are punishable by fines and imprisonment; and
(2)
the Department of Justice, which is responsible for investigating potential violations of section 248 of title 18, United States Code, and prosecuting the individuals threatening, vandalizing, and damaging pregnancy centers, has abdicated its duty and failed to provide justice for victims of violence.
4.

Report
(a)

In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice and the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the committees described in subsection (b) on the following:
(1)
A list of each definition of the term “domestic violent extremism” that each Inspector General, respectively, finds to be used by the agency or any subagency and a list of nongovernmental organizations that were consulted in the creation of such definition.
(2)
A list of any terms similar to “domestic violent extremism” and a definition for each such term that each Inspector General, respectively, finds to be used by the agency or any subagency and a list of nongovernmental organizations that were consulted in the creation of such definition.
(3)
A list of nongovernmental organizations that were consulted in identification of terms under paragraphs (1) and (2).
(4)
The criteria for opening, managing, and closing investigations related to domestic violent extremism.
(5)
Standard operating procedures or policies and practices of the agency and each subagency with respect to the review, prioritization, and mitigation of threats related to domestic violent extremism in the United States.
(6)
The sharing of information relating to domestic violent extremism within and between the following:
(A)
The Federal Government.
(B)
State, local, Tribal, territorial, and foreign governments.
(C)
The committees described in subsection (b).
(D)
Nongovernmental organizations.
(E)
The private sector.
(7)
Compliance by the Federal Government with privacy, constitutional and civil rights, and constitutional and civil liberties policies and protections.
(8)
All incidents of domestic violent extremism against pregnancy centers during the period beginning May 1, 2022, and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(9)
Information on each group that has claimed responsibility or otherwise been identified by law enforcement for an act defacing, violating, or damaging pregnancy centers, including a list of all events for which the group has taken responsibility, a summary of ideology expressed by the group (with a classified annex, if necessary).
(10)
The Federal response to the incidents described in paragraph (3) (with classified annex, if necessary), including the agency and subagency responsible for monitoring these events, whether the group meets the definition of domestic violent extremist used by the agency or subagency, and, in the case of the Department of Justice, the number of prosecutions initiated.
(11)
A recommendation as to criteria to be utilized in establishing a potential program to make grants to pregnancy centers for purposes of enabling grantees to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to domestic violent extremism, and a report on current Federal programs and Federal funding streams available to pregnancy centers for such purposes, and what actions agencies are taking to communicate eligibility of pregnancy centers.
(b)

Committees described
The committees described in this subsection are the following:
(1)
The Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
(2)
The Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.
(3)
The Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(c)

Pregnancy center defined
In this section, the term “pregnancy center” means a community-based, non-profit organization that provides compassionate support and resources to women facing unexpected pregnancy and offer life-affirming alternatives to abortion.