Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and Representative Shelby Slawson (R-Stephenville) filed Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 1515, the Texas Heartbeat Act. Targeting preborn children who have a detectable heartbeat for abortion is a grave injustice and an affront to our God-given human dignity. Protecting these children from abortion is a courageous Pro-Life step for the State of Texas. SB 8 and HB 1515 will save lives, highlight the humanity of preborn children, and subvert the faulty legal reasoning of Roe v. Wade.
The Heartbeat Act is one piece of the Texas Abolition Strategy (TAS), which is an omnibus bill comprised of three major Pro-Life policies.
“Abortion stops one heart and breaks another,” responded Texas Right to Life spokeswoman Rebecca Parma. “Our state can and should protect preborn children from abortion, and the Texas Heartbeat Act advances us toward safeguarding all human Life in the womb.”
Texas Right to Life applauds Senator Hughes and Representative Slawson for filing this legislation that will both save lives and undermine the legal foundation of Roe. The filing of SB 8 and HB 1515 follows the filing of another priority Pro-Life bill and policy of TAS, the Preborn NonDiscrimination Act (PreNDA).
Since 2009, Texas plummeted to now rank as only the 20th most Pro-Life state. The Texas Heartbeat Act is a bold measure that will propel Texas to once more lead the national Pro-Life movement. With a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court and a conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Texas is uniquely positioned to pass this strong Pro-Life bill.
Both Senator Hughes and Representative Slawson are Pro-Life champions with lifelong dedication to defending the most vulnerable Texans. We are excited to continue to work with them and the Texas Legislature to quickly pass this bill into law this legislative session.
