- Dismemberment Abortion Ban
SB 415 by Sen. Charles Perry: Considered in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on February 15, voted out favorably. Heard on the Senate floor on March 15, passed favorably 22-9. Awaiting committee referral.
HB 844 by Rep. Stephanie Klick: Referred to the House State Affairs Committee. Awaiting public hearing.
Thousands of preborn children are subjected to the torturous and inhumane practice of dismemberment abortion, during which they are ripped limb from limb while still alive. This procedure is never necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman, and recent video footage from inside abortion clinics exposed the abuses of this procedure as a means to maximize the profit on selling the organs and tissue of the aborted children to researchers. Texas would become the fifth state to have enacted this ban.
- Patient Consent for Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
HB 2063 by Rep. Greg Bonnen, M.D.: Considered for public hearing on April 5 in the House State Affairs Committee.
Since current Texas law is unclear on DNR Orders, some healthcare providers unilaterally impose DNR Orders for patients without their knowledge or consent. The DNR Consent bill requires consent to be obtained from the patient or his surrogate before a DNR order may be written.
- Reform the Texas Advance Directive Act (TADA)
SB 1213 by Sen. Bryan Hughes: Referred to Senate State Affairs Committee. Awaiting public hearing.
HB 4090 by Rep. Stephanie Klick: Referred to the House State Affairs Committee. Awaiting public hearing.
Current Texas law allows physicians to impose death by withdrawing life-sustaining care from a patient after providing ten days notice of this decision made by the hospital’s ethics committee. When this statutory process is used, the facility can legally override and trample the expressed wishes of a patient or his surrogate. This reform restores the rights of patients by removing the ten-day clock, allowing the patient adequate time to transfer to another physician or facility where care will be provided.
- Pro-Life Health Insurance Reform
SB 20 by Sen. Larry Taylor: Considered in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on February 28, voted out favorably. Heard on the Senate floor on March 22, passed favorably 21-10.
HB 1113 by Rep. John Smithee: Referred to the House State Affairs Committee. Awaiting public hearing.
The Affordable Care Act includes a provision for states to opt-out of abortion coverage, and 25 states have already done so. SB 575 passed the Senate in 2015 and died in the House. Passing this reform bill would protect Texans who do not want to subsidize abortions through public, private, and state insurance plans.
- Disabled Preborn Justice Act
SB 1427 by Sen. Kelly Hancock: Referred to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. Awaiting public hearing.
HB 1971 by Rep. Matt Schaefer: Referred to the House State Affairs Committee. Awaiting public hearing.
Preborn children with disabilities or the non-preferred gender are victims of discriminatory abortions. This bill would close the loopholes in current Texas Pro-Life laws that do not protect children with disabilities and also eliminate abortions that are committed solely for discriminatory reasons. Preborn children with disabilities are the only children subject to elective abortions after 5 months gestation, when these tiny babies can feel pain.
