The Comstock Act is a 19th-century law that some anti-abortion groups are trying to reinterpret as a way to ban the mailing of abortion medications nationwide. This resolution pushes back, affirming that the existing legal understanding — backed by a 2022 Department of Justice opinion — is that the Comstock Act does not prohibit mailing drugs like mifepristone when the sender doesn't intend them to be used unlawfully. It condemns restrictions on access to medication abortion and warns that misapplying the Comstock Act could threaten the shipping of basic medical materials and further endanger reproductive healthcare.
Congressional Summary
This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives (1) affirms that federal law authorizes the distribution of medication abortion, including by mail, as stated in a 2022 Department of Justice memorandum; and (2) condemns restrictions on the access and coverage of reproductive health care, including medication abortion.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-01-24
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09