HYDE-SMITH, ROUNDS INTRODUCE BILL BANNING BARBARIC ABORTION PROCEDURES

'Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act' Introduced on Fourth Anniversary of the Dobbs Decision that Overturned Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today joined U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) in introducing legislation to ban the performance of dismemberment abortions.

The Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026 would establish a federal prohibition on dilation and evacuation procedures, commonly known as dismemberment abortions, in which surgical instruments are used to extract an unborn child piece by piece.

"Every pre-born child is precious, and it's appalling that any physician trained to save lives would dismember a child in the womb. The fact that this horrifying procedure is still being done to babies who can feel pain in the womb is why we need to enact the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act," Hyde-Smith said.

"Every life is a precious gift from God and should be treated with dignity," said Rounds. "Dismemberment abortions are among the most brutal methods of abortion, accounting for around 80 percent of second trimester abortions. Our legislation would make performing a dismemberment abortion a criminal offense, with the doctor or health care provider who performs it liable to fines and up to two years in prison."

The measure creates criminal penalties for physicians who knowingly perform dismemberment procedures. A physician who knowingly performs the procedure would face fines and/or imprisonment of up to two years.

U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation (HR.8603).

"Under our current system, abortion procedures exist in a legal gray area with no federal standards and no accountability. Providers can perform inhumane extraction methods and face zero consequences. That ends now," said Cammack. "This bill sets a clear federal standard that holds providers accountable, protects the dignity of all life, and ensures women are protected, not prosecuted."

Additional cosponsors include U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).

The Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act is supported by SBA Pro-Life America, March for Life Action, National Right to Life, Live Action, and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Hyde-Smith has worked consistently on legislation and policies to support life, including legislation to support women who become pregnant. Hyde-Smith is the author of the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act (S.1834), a bipartisan measure to support expectant parents by preventing cost-sharing requirements for prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal, or postpartum health care for Americans with private health insurance.

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