Two of our priority bills, HB 816 and HB 2828, are in the Calendars Committee, ready to be scheduled for floor debate in the House. HB 816 by Chairman Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) will opt Texas out of paying for abortions through the state exchange programs to be set up by ObamaCare. HB 2828 by Representative William Callegari (R-Katy) will make it illegal to coerce a woman to seek an abortion and add several mechanisms to make her aware of her right against and protection from being forced into seeking an abortion.
The Chairman of the Human Services Committee, Representative Richard Raymond (D-Laredo), created a special subcommittee on End-of-Life issues to deal with two of our bills, HB 3520 by Representative Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and HB 2483 by Representative Aaron Pena (R-Edinburg). HB 3520 has received a hearing in the subcommittee, and Texas Right to Life is diligently working with the members to work out a Committee Substitute that can be recommended to the entire Human Services Committee to protect patients from having life-sustaining treatment withdrawn from them against their will. We are awaiting a hearing to be set for HB 2483 that would require physicians to get a patients’ permission, or that of their health care proxy, to issue a Do-Not-Resuscitate order (DNR) on the patients.
| Bill Number | Bill Title | Referred to Cmte | Public Hearing in Cmte | Voted out of Cmte & in Calendars Cmte | Scheduled for Floor Debate | Voted out of House & Received by Senate | Passed by Senate | Signed by Governor |
| HB 2828 | Protecting Women from Coerced Abortions |
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| HB 3520 | Restoring Patients' Rights through Advanced Directives |
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| HB 15 | Sonogram Bill |
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| HB 2483 | Do-Not Resuscitate Bill |
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| HB 1602 | Confidential Data Collection on Abortions |
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| HB 2555 | Increasing Parental Involvement for Minors Seeking Abortions |
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| HB 816 | Opt Abortion Funding out of ObamaCare |
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The bill to strengthen parental involvement in a minor’s decision to seek an abortion by closing the huge loophole of judicial bypass, HB 2555 by Representative Fred Brown (R-Bryan), had a hearing in the State Affairs committee. The next step for this bill is to be voted out of committee and sent to the Calendars Committee.
HB 1602 by Representative Bill Zedler (R-Arlington), requiring confidential data collection on abortions, is also waiting to be voted out of the House State Affairs committee.
The Senate’s version of the sonogram bill, CSHB 15, is currently on the Senate Intent Calendar and expected to be on the Senate floor early next week!
Since none of the Priority Pro-Life bills have passed both chambers, our legislative team and Pro-Life legislators have a lot of work to do in the remaining 30 days of the 82nd Texas Legislature in order to get significant Pro-Life legislation to Governor Perry’s desk.
