Protecting Families from Fertility Fraud Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8295 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8295

   To amend title 18, United States Code, to criminalize abuse with
              respect to assisted reproductive technology.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2026

 Mrs. Bice (for herself, Ms. Letlow, and Ms. Houlahan) introduced the
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend title 18, United States Code, to criminalize abuse with
              respect to assisted reproductive technology.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Families from Fertility
Fraud Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. ABUSE WITH RESPECT TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 109A of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 2249. ABUSE WITH RESPECT TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

    ``(a) Offense.--Whoever, in any circumstance described in
subsection (b), knowingly misrepresents the nature or source of DNA
used in assisted reproductive technology (including any treatment or
procedure that involves the handling of human oocytes or embryos such
as in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, and zygote
intrafallopian transfer) or assisted insemination (including any
procedure that involves the handling of sperm including intrauterine
insemination) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more
than 10 years, or both.
    ``(b) Circumstance Described.--For the purposes of subsection (a),
the circumstances described in this subsection are that--
            ``(1) the defendant or victim traveled in interstate or
        foreign commerce, or traveled using a means, channel, facility,
        or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, in
        furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in
        subsection (a);
            ``(2) the defendant used a means, channel, facility, or
        instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in
        furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in
        subsection (a);
            ``(3) any payment of any kind was made, directly or
        indirectly, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct
        described in subsection (a) using any means, channel, facility,
        or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or
        affecting interstate or foreign commerce;
            ``(4) the defendant transmitted in interstate or foreign
        commerce any communication relating to or in furtherance of the
        conduct described in subsection (a) using any means, channel,
        facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce
        or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means
        or manner, including by computer, mail, wire, or
        electromagnetic transmission;
            ``(5) any instrument, item, substance, or other object that
        has traveled in interstate or foreign commerce was used to
        perform the conduct described in subsection (a);
            ``(6) the conduct described in subsection (a) occurred
        within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the
        United States, or any territory or possession of the United
        States; or
            ``(7) the conduct described in subsection (a) otherwise
        occurred in or affected interstate or foreign commerce.
    ``(c) Statute of Limitations.--In the case in which DNA testing
leads to the identification of a person who has violated subsection
(a), no statute of limitations that would otherwise preclude the
prosecution of an offense under subsection (a) shall preclude such
prosecution until the date that is 10 years after the date on which
such person was identified.''.
    (b) Racketeering Activity.--Section 1961(1) of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ``section 2249 (relating to abuse
with respect to assisted reproductive technology),'' after ``(relating
to nuclear materials),''.
    (c) Table of Contents.--The table of sections for chapter 109A of
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:

``2249. Abuse with respect to assisted reproductive technology.''.
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