HB 670 — An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in abortion, providing for access to reproductive health services facilities; in particular rights and immunities, providing for action for blocking access to reproductive health services facility; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   677

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                            HOUSE BILL
                            No. 670
                                                   Session of
                                                     2025

     INTRODUCED BY POWELL, PIELLI, WEBSTER, SANCHEZ, HOWARD, WAXMAN,
        VENKAT, SCHLOSSBERG, RABB, CERRATO, GIRAL, KHAN, STEELE,
        OTTEN, D. WILLIAMS, MAYES, HOHENSTEIN, DEASY, BOYD, GREEN,
        SHUSTERMAN AND KINKEAD, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                        AN ACT
 1   Amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and
 2      Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 3      Statutes, in abortion, providing for access to reproductive
 4      health services facilities; in particular rights and
 5      immunities, providing for action for blocking access to
 6      reproductive health services facility; and imposing
 7      penalties.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.        Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
11   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
12   § 3207.1.      Access to reproductive health services facilities.
13      (a)   Prohibited conduct.--
14            (1)    An individual may not, by force, threat of force or
15      violent or nonviolent physical obstruction, knowingly injure,
16      intimidate or interfere with a person:
17                  (i)    because the person is a reproductive health
18            services client, provider or assistant; or
19                  (ii)    to cause the person, or a class of persons, to
 1            not become or not remain a reproductive health services
 2            client, provider or assistant.
 3            (2)   An individual may not knowingly cause damage to the
 4      property of a person because the person is a reproductive
 5      health services client, provider or assistant or reproductive
 6      health services facility.
 7            (3)   An individual may not knowingly use a telephone or
 8      other communication or electronic device, or knowingly permit
 9      the use of a telephone or other communication or electronic
10      device under the control of the individual, to disrupt the
11      normal functioning of a reproductive health services
12      facility.
13            (4)   An individual may not knowingly impede or interfere
14      with the operation of a motor vehicle that attempts to enter,
15      exit or park at or nearby a reproductive health services
16      facility.
17      (b)   Penalties.--An individual who is convicted for
18   committing a prohibited act under subsection (a) may be
19   sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year
20   or to pay a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
21      (c)   Considerations.--Prior to sentencing an individual
22   convicted for committing a prohibited act under this section,
23   the court shall consider any prior conviction of the individual
24   for a violation under this section or 18 U.S.C. § 248 (relating
25   to freedom of access to clinic entrances).
26      (d)   Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
27   construed to:
28            (1)   Impair any constitutionally protected activity or
29      activity otherwise protected by law.
30            (2)   Provide an exclusive civil remedy or criminal

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 1      penalty.
 2            (3)   Preempt a municipality from enacting an ordinance or
 3      regulation in accordance with law to provide a remedy for the
 4      commission of an act prohibited by this section.
 5            (4)   Interfere with the enforcement of a law or
 6      regulation regarding the termination of a pregnancy or the
 7      provision of other reproductive health services.
 8      (e)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
 9   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
10   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
11      "Bodily injury."    Impairment of physical condition or
12   substantial pain.
13      "Person."    An individual, corporation, partnership,
14   unincorporated association or other business entity.
15      "Physical obstruction."    The act of making entrance to or
16   exit from a reproductive health services facility impassable,
17   unreasonably difficult or hazardous for an individual.
18      "Reproductive health services."      Medical, surgical,
19   counseling or referral services which are:
20            (1)   related to the human reproductive system, including
21      services related to pregnancy or the termination of a
22      pregnancy; and
23            (2)   provided in a medical facility.
24      "Reproductive health services client, provider or assistant."
25   As follows:
26            (1)   A person involved in obtaining, providing, seeking
27      to obtain or provide or assisting or seeking to assist
28      another person, at the request of the other person, to obtain
29      or provide services in a reproductive health services
30      facility.

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 1            (2)    The term includes a person that owns, operates or
 2      seeks to own or operate a reproductive health services
 3      facility.
 4      "Reproductive health services facility."        A facility or
 5   medical facility, as defined in section 3203 (relating to
 6   definitions), that provides reproductive health services.
 7      "Serious bodily injury."        Bodily injury which:
 8            (1)    creates a substantial risk of death; or
 9            (2)    causes serious, permanent disfigurement or
10      protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily
11      member or organ.
12      "Violent."        Causing, intending to cause or likely to cause
13   bodily injury, serious bodily injury, death or serious damage to
14   property.
15      Section 2.        Title 42 is amended by adding a section to read:
16   § 8320.2.      Action for blocking access to reproductive health
17                  services facility.
18      (a)   Redress for personal injury.--
19            (1)    A reproductive health services facility client,
20      provider or assistant or an owner or agent of a reproductive
21      health services facility who incurs bodily injury or damage
22      to or loss of property as a result of conduct by an actor, as
23      described in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3207.1 (relating to access to
24      reproductive health services facilities), may bring a cause
25      of action in a court of common pleas against:
26                  (i)    the actor;
27                  (ii)    a person that has solicited the actor to engage
28            in the conduct; or
29                  (iii)    a person that has knowingly attempted to
30            provide or provided aid to the actor with the intent that

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 1            the actor engage in the conduct.
 2            (2)   In an action under paragraph (1), the issue of
 3      whether the defendant engaged in the alleged conduct shall be
 4      determined according to the burden of proof used in other
 5      civil actions for similar relief.
 6            (3)   The plaintiff in an action under paragraph (1) may
 7      seek:
 8                  (i)    General and special damages, including damages
 9            for emotional distress. Damages under this subparagraph
10            shall be actual damages or $500, whichever is greater.
11                  (ii)    Punitive damages.
12                  (iii)    Reasonable attorney fees and costs.
13                  (iv)    A preliminary or permanent injunction or other
14            equitable relief.
15                  (v)    Other relief that the court deems necessary and
16            proper.
17      (b)   Redress sought by public official on behalf of others.--
18   If conduct which would constitute a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. §
19   3207.1 has occurred, the district attorney of the county in
20   which the violation occurred or the Attorney General, after
21   consulting with the district attorney, may institute a civil
22   action for injunctive or other equitable relief if needed to
23   protect a person or property. The civil action must be brought
24   in the name of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the county in
25   which the violation occurred.
26      (c)   Filing of court orders.--
27            (1)   The prothonotary of the court in which a civil
28      action is brought under subsection (a) or (b) shall transmit
29      two certified copies of any order issued in the civil action
30      to each appropriate law enforcement agency having

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 1      jurisdiction over locations where the defendant is alleged to
 2      have committed the act and where the defendant resides or has
 3      a principal place of business.
 4            (2)   The sheriff of the county in which the defendant
 5      resides shall serve a copy of the order under paragraph (1)
 6      on the defendant. Unless otherwise ordered by the court,
 7      service shall be by delivering a copy in hand to the
 8      defendant.
 9            (3)   Law enforcement agencies shall establish procedures
10      adequate to ensure that all officers responsible for the
11      enforcement of the order under paragraph (1) are informed of
12      the existence and terms of the order.
13            (4)   If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to
14      believe that a defendant has violated the provisions of an
15      order under this subsection, the law enforcement officer may
16      arrest the defendant.
17      (d)   Contempt notice required to be part of order.--In
18   actions brought under this section, if a court issues a
19   temporary restraining order or a preliminary or permanent
20   injunction ordering a defendant to refrain from certain conduct
21   or activities, the order issued shall contain the following
22   statement: VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
23      (e)   Penalties.--
24            (1)   Except as provided in paragraph (2), a violation of
25      an order issued and served as specified in this section shall
26      be a misdemeanor of the second degree.
27            (2)   If bodily injury results from the violation
28      described in paragraph (1), the violation shall be a
29      misdemeanor of the first degree.
30      (f)   Vacated orders.--If the court vacates a temporary

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 1   restraining order or a preliminary or permanent injunction
 2   issued under this section:
 3            (1)   The prothonotary shall:
 4                  (i)    Promptly notify in writing each appropriate law
 5            enforcement agency that had been notified of the issuance
 6            of the order.
 7                  (ii)    Direct each law enforcement agency under
 8            subparagraph (i) to destroy all records of the order.
 9            (2)   Each law enforcement agency under paragraph (1)
10      shall comply with the directive under paragraph (1)(i) upon
11      receipt of the notification.
12      (g)   Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
13   to prohibit, limit or punish religiously motivated speech or
14   conduct that is otherwise protected by the Constitution of the
15   United States, the Constitution of Pennsylvania or the act of
16   December 9, 2002 (P.L.1701, No.214), known as the Religious
17   Freedom Protection Act.
18      (h)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
19   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
20   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
21      "Bodily injury."        As defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3207.1(e).
22      "Person."     As defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3207.1(e).
23      "Reproductive health services client, provider or assistant."
24   As defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3207.1(e).
25      "Reproductive health services facility."        As defined in 18
26   Pa.C.S. § 3207.1(e).
27      Section 3.        This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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