H.R. 2029: Stop Comstock Act
Sponsor
Becca Balint
Democrat · VT
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Mar 11, 2025
Referred to the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. for review
Federal mail bans should target obscenity, not abortion
Why it matters
146 House members have signed onto H.R. 2029, which would strip old federal laws of terms like "indecent," "immoral," and "means for procuring abortion." That would narrow what the government can block in the mail, in shipment, or at the border—while keeping bans on obscene material in place.
H.R. 2029 is a cleanup bill with real legal consequences. It rewrites several old federal mail, shipping, and import laws so they cover obscene material, not a wider set of vaguely defined moral categories.
The biggest change is that the bill deletes references to abortion-related items and removes terms like "indecent" and "immoral" from multiple federal statutes. In plain English, supporters are trying to make sure those older laws cannot be read as covering lawful non-obscene materials just because Congress once used much broader language.
The bill does not create a new national obscenity standard. It also does not add funding, deadlines, fines, or prison terms. Its main effect is to narrow the text federal officials could rely on when policing mailings, shipments, and imports.
H.R. 2029 Bill Summary
What H.R. 2029 actually does.
Abortion-related mailing language is deleted
H.R. 2029 removes federal wording about "means for procuring abortion" from one of the criminal statutes it rewrites. That would narrow the text available for federal enforcement tied to mailed or transported abortion-related materials.
Mail restrictions are narrowed to obscene material
The bill rewrites the main federal mailing provision so it covers obscene materials, while deleting broader language about "indecent" content. The practical shift is from moral-category wording to a narrower obscenity-based rule.
Shipping and transport rules get the same narrowing
A separate federal law on transporting covered materials is also rewritten to focus on obscene material. That means the same narrowing would apply beyond the mail itself.
Import bans lose old 'immoral' wording
The bill also revises the federal import law by deleting language tied to "immoral" items and abortion-related articles. Customs enforcement would be working from a shorter, narrower statute.
A technical internet-law citation is corrected
One provision updates an outdated cross-reference involving federal internet-law terminology. It does not create any new liability on its own.
No new penalties or spending are added
H.R. 2029 is a text-editing bill, not a spending bill. It does not set up a new program, appropriate money, or add new criminal punishments.
Who benefits from H.R. 2029?
Providers and patients relying on mailed reproductive-health materials
They would benefit because H.R. 2029 removes abortion-related wording from federal statutes that some legal and political fights still point to. The bill is designed to leave less room for those laws to be used against lawful materials.
People and businesses sending lawful non-obscene content
If you use the mail or common carriers for books, educational materials, health products, or other lawful content, the bill would narrow federal restrictions to obscene material instead of older terms like "indecent."
Importers facing vague old moral-language rules
Importers would get a tighter statute because the bill deletes "immoral" and abortion-related wording from the federal import restriction. That could reduce uncertainty over what customs law is supposed to reach.
Civil-liberties advocates challenging broad speech restrictions
Groups that argue old moral-language bans are too broad would see federal law rewritten in narrower terms. The bill is aimed at limiting government reliance on vague categories rather than expanding them.
Who is affected by H.R. 2029?
Federal prosecutors
They would lose some of the broader statutory language currently available in old mail and transport laws. Any future enforcement would rest on narrower obscenity-based wording instead.
Customs and border officials
Officials enforcing import restrictions would need to apply revised language after the bill removes terms tied to "immoral" and abortion-related items.
Postal, shipping, and compliance teams
Organizations that build mail and shipment policies around federal law would likely need to update internal compliance guidance to reflect the narrower text.
Courts and litigants in Comstock-related disputes
Anyone arguing over the scope of old federal obscenity laws would be affected because H.R. 2029 rewrites the exact text those cases often turn on.
HR2029 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Mar 11, 2025
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
About the Sponsor
Becca Balint
Democrat, Vermont · 3 years in Congress
Committees: the Budget, the Judiciary
View full profile →
Cosponsors (146)
All 146 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 36 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 33 more.
Mary Scanlon
Democrat · PA
Bonnie Watson Coleman
Democrat · NJ
Gabe Amo
Democrat · RI
Jake Auchincloss
Democrat · MA
Nanette Barragán
Democrat · CA
Joyce Beatty
Democrat · OH
Ami Bera
Democrat · CA
Suzanne Bonamici
Democrat · OR
Shontel Brown
Democrat · OH
Julia Brownley
Democrat · CA
Salud Carbajal
Democrat · CA
André Carson
Democrat · IN
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Ways and Means Committee
12 of 45 committee members cosponsored
Judiciary Committee
15 of 42 committee members cosponsored
10 Democrats across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 2029 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Ways and Means
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- Mar 11, 2025
Referred to the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. for review
Mar 11, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with status, text, cosponsors, committees, and actions for H.R. 2029.
This is one of the main federal mailing statutes H.R. 2029 would revise to narrow coverage to obscene material.
This statute covers transportation and importation of obscene matter and is directly amended by the bill.
H.R. 2029 specifically revises 18 U.S.C. 552 to remove older wording such as references to indecent material and abortion-related items.
This is the Tariff Act provision on imports that H.R. 2029 would rewrite by removing older moral-language restrictions.
The Postal Inspection Service is the federal law-enforcement body tied to postal mail restrictions that would be affected by any narrowing of mail statutes.
CBP is the frontline agency for border and import enforcement, relevant because the bill changes import-law language in 19 U.S.C. 1305.
Official source for the codified federal statutes H.R. 2029 amends, useful for reviewing current text and cross-references.
H.R. 2029 Common Questions
What does H.R. 2029 actually do?
It rewrites four old federal laws so they focus on obscene material, not broader terms like "indecent," "immoral," or abortion-related items.
Would H.R. 2029 legalize mailing obscene material?
No. H.R. 2029 keeps federal obscenity restrictions in place. It narrows the law by deleting broader wording, but obscene material would still be covered.
Does H.R. 2029 remove abortion-related language from federal law?
Yes. The bill deletes wording about "means for procuring abortion" and other abortion-related language from the statutes it amends.
Would this change only mail rules, or shipping too?
Both. H.R. 2029 narrows federal rules on mailed materials, transported materials, and certain imports, not just what goes through the Postal Service.
Does H.R. 2029 change import restrictions at the border?
Yes. It rewrites part of federal import law by deleting old wording about "immoral" and abortion-related items, leaving a narrower rule behind.
Does H.R. 2029 create new fines or prison time?
No. The bill changes the wording of existing laws, but it does not add new penalties, sentencing ranges, or funding.
Which federal laws would H.R. 2029 amend?
It rewrites three federal criminal laws on mail and transport, plus one federal import law. The bill is narrow, but it touches several key Comstock-era provisions.
What is the status of H.R. 2029?
It was introduced in the House on March 11, 2025, and referred to the Judiciary Committee, with Ways and Means also involved for part of the bill.
Based on H.R. 2029 bill text
H.R. 2029 Bill Text
“To revise sections 552, 1461, and 1462 of title 18, United States Code, and section 305 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1305), and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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