Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
This bill creates a new federal offense banning anyone from knowingly performing an abortion in the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, punishable by fines and up to five years imprisonment. It creates limited exceptions for life-threatening physical conditions, rape (with timing and counseling/medical conditions), and rape/incest involving minors (with required prior reporting), bars criminal prosecution of the pregnant woman, and establishes civil causes of action with triple-cost statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees rules.
Progressives emphasize access and chilling civil damages.
High-salience abortion content raises controversy; geographically narrow scope and explicit exceptions improve some support, but polarization raises hurdles.
This bill creates a new federal offense banning anyone from knowingly performing an abortion in the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, punishable by fines and up to five years imprisonment.
It creates limited exceptions for life-threatening physical conditions, rape (with timing and counseling/medical conditions), and rape/incest involving minors (with required prior reporting), bars criminal prosecution of the pregnant woman, and establishes civil causes of action with triple-cost statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees rules.
The bill inserts the new section into Title 18 and amends the table of sections accordingly.
Short, targeted bill faces strong ideological opposition and legal risk; limited scope helps but not enough to overcome polarization and Senate hurdles.
How solid the drafting looks.
Progressives emphasize access and chilling civil damages.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize access and chilling civil damages.
Likely strongly opposed.
The bill criminalizes abortion providers in federal maritime jurisdiction and creates civil penalties that could chill care.
The rape and minor exceptions are narrow and administratively burdensome, and the bill raises concerns about access, privacy, and reproductive autonomy.
Mixed reaction: supports protecting life in narrow circumstances but concerned about federal overreach, vagueness, and enforceability.
Would seek clarifications on maritime scope, the rape/medical-timing conditions, and the drafting oddity affecting parental civil suits.
Generally supportive as a measure to prevent 'offshore abortion tourism' and protect fetal life in federal maritime areas.
Views criminal penalties and civil remedies as appropriate enforcement tools, though some may prefer stronger or broader application.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Short, targeted bill faces strong ideological opposition and legal risk; limited scope helps but not enough to overcome polarization and Senate hurdles.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize access and chilling civil damages.
Short, targeted bill faces strong ideological opposition and legal risk; limited scope helps but not enough to overcome polarization and Se…
Pro readers get the full perspective split, passage barriers, legislative design review, stakeholder impact map, and lens-based policy tradeoff analysis for BOAT Act.
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.