Congress moves to reverse FDA's abortion pill access expansion

What it does

This bill would reverse the FDA's January 2023 decision to relax safety requirements for mifepristone (the abortion pill), restoring stricter distribution and use restrictions. It also bars the FDA from adopting any substantially similar relaxed requirements in the future. The bill's primary effect is to make mifepristone harder to access by reimposing prior safety protocols.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is to reverse a regulatory decision that expanded access to a medication. It does not address safety science or new evidence; it is a legislative override of FDA judgment on how to manage a known medication's distribution.

What the text implies

• Reinstates requirement for in-person dispensing and clinical oversight, eliminating mail-based access that the 2023 FDA action had permitted, disproportionately affecting rural and underserved populations.
• Bars FDA from reconsidering or updating REMS based on new safety data or clinical experience, freezing regulatory flexibility and potentially conflicting with FDA's statutory authority to manage drug safety.
• Creates a legislative precedent for Congress to nullify specific FDA regulatory decisions by name, potentially weakening FDA independence in drug safety determinations.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts access to a medication that the FDA determined was safe under relaxed conditions. Citizens who rely on mifepristone for abortion care—particularly those in rural areas, those with limited means, and those facing time-sensitive medical decisions—face reinstated logistical and regulatory barriers. The bill does not address safety; it reverses a regulatory judgment about how to balance safety with access.

Named in the bill

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), mifepristone, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Section 505-1

Where it stands

18 cosponsors: 18 Republicans.

• Jan 23, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 23, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $420,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 51 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Diana Harshbarger, the sponsor, reported $727,520 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Susan B Anthony List — $420,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.