Pennsylvania HB 1845: An Act amending the act of May 1, 1984 (P.L.206, No.43), known as the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act, further providing for definitions and for public nuisances.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2281
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1845
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY M. BROWN, KAUFFMAN AND BERNSTINE,
SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of May 1, 1984 (P.L.206, No.43), entitled "An
act providing for safe drinking water; imposing powers and
duties on the Department of Environmental Resources in
relation thereto; and appropriating certain funds," further
providing for definitions and for public nuisances.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3 of the act of May 1, 1984 (P.L.206,
No.43), known as the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act, is
amended by adding a definition to read:
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Abortion drug." Any medicine, drug or other substance, or a
combination thereof, and excluding a medicine, drug or substance
used for contraceptive purposes, when used to intentionally:
(1) kill the unborn baby of a woman known to be
pregnant; or
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

(2) terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be
pregnant, other than the production of a live birth, or
removal of a dead unborn baby.
* * *
Section 2. Section 12 of the act is amended by adding
subsections to read:
Section 12. Public nuisances.
* * *
(c) Abortion drugs.--No person shall cause an abortion drug
to enter wastewater or public water supply, public water system
or the waters of this Commonwealth. The manufacturer or
manufacturers of an abortion drug shall be responsible for
ensuring proper disposal of the abortion drugs when discarded
and for mitigating and remediating an environmental effect of
the abortion drug, including endocrine - disrupting chemical
byproducts of the abortion drug, that may enter a disposal
system, sewage system, public water supply, public water system
or the waters of this Commonwealth as a result of the disposal
of tainted human remains from an at - home abortion using the
abortion drug.
(d) Manufacturer liability.--If endocrine - disrupting
chemicals from an abortion drug are found in wastewater, a
public water system, public water supply or the waters of this
Commonwealth, the manufacturer or manufacturers of the abortion
drug shall be strictly, absolutely, jointly and severally liable
for the cleanup, remediation and any further preventative
measure that the department may require. The department shall
fine the manufacturer or manufacturers for violations of
subsection (c) or this subsection in an amount determined by the
department to be sufficient in deterring future violations. If
20250HB1845PN2281 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

the department is unable to identify the specific manufacturer
of the abortion drug found in the wastewater, public water
supply, public water system or waters of this Commonwealth,
liability shall be apportioned among all manufacturers of
abortion drugs in proportion to each manufacturer's share of the
national production for abortion drugs at the time of the
finding.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20250HB1845PN2281 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8