Senator Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) and Representative Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) filed the Preborn NonDiscrimination Act (PreNDA) today. Senate Bill 1173 and House Bill 3218 will ban discriminatory abortions sought because of the preborn child’s race, sex, or potential disability and will end the late-term abortions that still occur in Texas. PreNDA is the first step of the Texas Abolition Strategy (TAS), which is an omnibus bill comprised of three major Pro-Life policies.
Texas Right to Life applauds Senator Hancock and Representative Schaefer for once again leading this fight to protect preborn Texans from discriminatory abortions.
The Lone Star State plummeted to the 20th most Pro-Life state in 2021 rankings, down from 4th in 2008. Abortions are rising, with the abortion industry killing 57,000 preborn Texans in 2019. Furthermore, the courts are ripe for Pro-Life judicial victories, with a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court and a conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Clarence Thomas noted that he believes the Supreme Court should soon consider the constitutionality of laws like PreNDA.
“Babies should not be selectively targeted for discriminatory reasons. We protect against discrimination in a multitude of areas, such as housing and employment, and now is the time to protect against deadly discrimination inside the womb,” stated Texas Right to Life spokeswoman Rebecca Parma. Recently, Iceland celebrated nearly eliminating Down syndrome, not through a cure but by destroying these vulnerable preborn children. Tragically, most preborn Americans with Down syndrome meet the same fate. As data indicates, other abortions are predicated on a preborn child’s sex or the child’s race or ethnicity, which is never justified. In his recent State of the State address, Governor Greg Abbott called on the Texas Legislature to prohibit this brutal practice of discriminatory abortion.
PreNDA also bans the remaining late-term abortions in Texas, which are legal on babies with suspected disabilities until the moment of birth. Abortion is not the answer to disability, so HB 3218 and SB 1173 connect families with life-affirming social and medical services available from government and privately funded programs, like perinatal palliative care.
Representative Matt Schaefer spearheaded similar Pro-Life reforms since 2015 and said:
“These preborn children with suspected disabilities represent the most vulnerable and neglected class of Texans there is. These children are still made in the image of God and should be awarded all the protection and support we can provide them. That is why the Preborn Non-Discrimination Act seeks not only to ban these abortions but also ensures their families are aware of and have access to the numerous social and medical services available through the state and non-profits.”
In 2019, Senator Hancock led the Texas Senate to pass PreNDA, and during debate with pro-abortion senators he explained, “discriminating against another human being based on race, gender and disability are never okay, even in utero.”
Texas Right to Life thanks Senator Hancock and Representative Schaefer for once again moving to end the barbaric practices of discriminatory and late-term abortion in Texas. We strongly believe now is the time for Texas to lead the Pro-Life movement by taking strategic and bold steps to end elective abortion in our state.
This follows the filing of another Pro-Life bill, the repeal of the anti-Life 10-Day Rule. See all Pro-Life Priority Bills here.
Ask your state lawmaker to support the Pro-Life Priority Agenda!