The Texas House of Representatives passed the Texas Heartbeat Act today, Senate Bill 8, authored by Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and sponsored by Representative Shelby Slawson (R-Stephenville). After debate on the House floor, the Texas Heartbeat Act passed in a vote of 81 in favor and 63 against.
Commenting on the House’s favorable vote, Texas Right to Life Senior Legislative Associate Rebecca Parma said; “This is a historic day for the state of Texas. The House has taken bold and wise action to protect innocent preborn children in the womb.”
The Texas Heartbeat Act is the strongest Pro-Life bill to ever reach the Texas House floor and a critical bill in the Pro-Life Priority Agenda. When passed into law, the Texas Heartbeat Act will abolish elective abortions as early as six weeks, when the preborn child’s heartbeat is detectable by the most common methods.
The Texas Heartbeat Act is novel in approach, allowing for citizens to hold abortionists accountable through private lawsuits. No heartbeat law passed by another state has taken this strategy. Additionally, the bill does not punish women who obtain abortions.
The Texas Heartbeat Act will receive a final procedural vote tomorrow and then return to the Texas Senate for approval with amendments. The Senate originally passed the Heartbeat act on March 30. After the Senate approves again, the Texas Heartbeat Act will be sent to the governor’s desk for signing.
Texas Right to Life applauds Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) and all House members who voted to pass the Texas Heartbeat Act. We also thank Representative Slawson for her sponsorship of the bill and Senator Hughes for authoring SB 8.
