Palmer and Norman Introduce Bill to Ensure Accurate Abortion Reporting Data

Press Release

Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL) and Congressman Ralph Norman (R-SC) have introduced the Ensuring Accurate & Complete Data Reporting Act. It seeks to improve the reporting of abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

"Accurate and transparent reporting on abortion and children who survive abortion attempts is essential to public health research and to determining sound policy," Palmer said. "Reporting abortion data has been voluntary for too long, and this has led to states withholding many data points routinely requested by the CDC. We must ensure that states are providing accurate information regarding abortions and the children who survive them. This bill would ensure that states cannot distort or provide faulty data in an effort to cover up the true numbers of innocent lives lost by abortion."

Congressman Norman said, "I want to thank Rep. Gary Palmer for his leadership on this important issue. This legislation will incentivize states to accurately report their abortion data to the CDC, increase transparency, and ultimately help Congress exercise effective oversight of these taxpayer-subsidized family planning programs."

If passed, the bill would mandate accurate reporting of abortion data to the CDC, and offer technical assistance with data collection at the state level. Required data points would include number of abortions and number of children who survive abortion attempts in each state. States that withhold or falsify such information would be penalized by losing eligibility for family planning services funding from Medicaid for a time.

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