,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hbea ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ae1 #bjbj,mrs4 ,wagner introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 to prohibit preventing access to lifesaving medical procedures and treatments1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,prohibition on preventing access to lifesaving medical procedures and treatments 7a7 ,in general ,chapter #fe of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #acgj4 ,access to lifesaving medical procedures and treatments 7a7 ,prohibited activities ,whoever1 by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction1 intentionally injures1 intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure1 intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been1 or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from1 obtaining or providing a lifesaving medical procedure or treatment1 shall be subject to the penalties provided in subsection 7b7 and the civil remedies provided in subsection 7c71 except that a parent or legal guardian of a minor shall not be subject to any penalties or civil remedies under this section for such activities insofar as they are directed exclusively at that minor4 7b7 ,penalties ,whoever violates this section shall-- 7#a7 in the case of a first offense1 be fined in accordance with this title1 or imprisoned not more than one year1 or both2 and 7#b7 in the case of a second or subsequent offense after a prior conviction under this section1 be fined in accordance with this title1 or imprisoned not more than #c years1 or both2 except that for an offense involving exclusively a nonviolent physical obstruction1 the fine shall be not more than #aj1jjj and the length of imprisonment shall be not more than six months1 or both1 for the first offense2 and the fine shall1 notwithstanding section #cega1 be not more than #be1jjj and the length of imprisonment shall be not more than #ah months1 or both1 for a subsequent offense2 and except that if bodily injury results1 the length of imprisonment shall be not more than #aj years1 and if death results1 it shall be for any term of years or for life4 7c7 ,civil remedies 7#a7 ,right of action 7,a7 ,in general ,any person aggrieved by reason of the conduct prohibited by subsection 7a7 may commence a civil action for the relief set forth in subparagraph 7,b71 except that such an action may be brought under subsection 7a7 only by a person involved in providing or seeking to provide1 or obtaining or seeking to obtain1 a lifesaving medical procedure or treatment4 7,b7 ,relief ,in any action under subparagraph 7,a71 the court may award appropriate relief1 including temporary1 preliminary or permanent injunctive relief and compensatory and punitive damages1 as well as the costs of suit and reasonable fees for attorneys and expert witnesses4 ,with respect to compensatory damages1 the plaintiff may elect1 at any time prior to the rendering of final judgment1 to recover1 in lieu of actual damages1 an award of statutory damages in the amount of #e1jjj per violation4 7#b7 ,action by ,attorney ,general of the ,united ,states 7,a7 ,in general ,if the ,attorney ,general of the ,united ,states has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is being1 has been1 or may be injured by conduct constituting a violation of this section1 the ,attorney ,general may commence a civil action in any appropriate ,united ,states ,district ,court4 7,b7 ,relief ,in any action under subparagraph 7,a71 the court may award appropriate relief1 including temporary1 preliminary or permanent injunctive relief1 and compensatory damages to persons aggrieved as described in paragraph 7#a77;,b74 ,the court1 to vindicate the public interest1 may also assess a civil penalty against each respondent-- 7i7 in an amount not exceeding #aj1jjj for a nonviolent physical obstruction and #ae1jjj for other first violations2 and 7ii7 in an amount not exceeding #ae1jjj for a nonviolent physical obstruction and #be1jjj for any other subsequent violation4 7#c7 ,actions by ,state ,attorneys ,general 7,a7 ,in general ,if the ,attorney ,general of a ,state has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is being1 has been1 or may be injured by conduct constituting a violation of this section1 such ,attorney ,general may commence a civil action in the name of such ,state1 as parens patriae on behalf of natural persons residing in such ,state1 in any appropriate ,united ,states ,district ,court4 7,b7 ,relief ,in any action under subparagraph 7,a71 the court may award appropriate relief1 including temporary1 preliminary or permanent injunctive relief1 compensatory damages1 and civil penalties as described in paragraph 7#b77;,b74 7d7 ,rules of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed-- 7#a7 to prohibit any expressive conduct 7including peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration7 protected from legal prohibition by the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution2 7#b7 to create new remedies for interference with activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution1 regardless of the point of view expressed1 or to limit any existing legal remedies for such interference2 7#c7 to provide exclusive criminal penalties or civil remedies with respect to the conduct prohibited by this section1 or to preempt ,state or local laws that may provide such penalties or remedies2 or 7#d7 to interfere with the enforcement of ,state or local laws regulating lifesaving medical procedures or treatments4 7e7 ,definitions ,as used in this section3 7#a7 ,interfere with ,the term interfere with means to restrict a person's freedom of movement4 7#b7 ,intimidate ,the term intimidate means to place a person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm to him- or herself or to another4 7#c7 ,physical obstruction ,the term physical obstruction means rendering impassable ingress to or egress from a facility that provides lifesaving medical procedures or treatments1 or rendering passage to or from such a facility unreasonably difficult or hazardous4 7#d7 ,state ,the term ,state includes a ,state of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 and any commonwealth1 territory1 or possession of the ,united ,states4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections for such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following3 #acgj4 ,access to lifesaving medical procedures and treatments4 4