John,
Texas lawmakers met in Austin over the last five months to debate and pass laws for our state and finally finished the legislative session today.
Your elected officials had a historic responsibility to make the most of this first legislative session after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, but they chose to ignore new deadly threats to preborn children. However, this session did include an important reform to improve patients’ rights thanks to Chairwoman Stephanie Klick (R – Fort Worth).
Here's a recap of the Pro-Life bills that did and didn't pass this year. >>
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❌ No bills passed to stop illegal abortions
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While leftist groups traffic abortion pills over our southern border or ship them to college dorm rooms, politicians failed to address this scourge and at the same time underfunded the life-saving Alternatives to Abortion program.
As we worked in the Capitol since January, we found that most legislators believed the delusion that pregnant women no longer consider abortion or need increased assistance for choosing Life now that elective abortion is illegal in Texas.
Several bills were filed this session to give the Pro-Life movement stronger enforcement tools to respond to the lawless promotion of abortion-inducing drugs but none passed (e.g. HB 2690, SB 1927).
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❌ Pregnancy centers and adoption agencies underfunded
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Texas’ Alternatives to Abortion program is currently the largest and most successful state-funded resource in the nation that helps women choose Life. Nonprofit pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes can be reimbursed by the state for serving pregnant women and families before and after birth.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe and Texas protected preborn children from elective abortion, these nonprofits have seen a 43% increase in demand for services.
In April, state representatives approved full funding for the program at $200 million for the next two years. However, in the final days of session, lawmakers reduced that proposed amount to $140 million. Thankfully, hundreds of Pro-Life advocates like you immediately protested and secured $165 million for the program in the final state budget.
Nonetheless, elected officials failed to meet the demand of the Alternatives to Abortion program and its projected growth. As a result, countless pregnant women may not receive the life-saving help they need and may instead feel pressured into seeking illegal or out-of-state abortions.
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At the same time that elected officials underfunded Alternatives to Abortion, they passed legislation that could be used to water down the program’s unique Pro-Life mission.
Lawmakers failed to sufficiently amend Senate Bill 24 to ensure that non-Pro-Life organizations do not divert Alternatives to Abortion funding.
Although SB 24 was well-intentioned, Texas Right to Life is concerned that this bill allows the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to pivot the previously earmarked funding to services that do not directly benefit pregnant moms and new families. Thus, Pro-Life nonprofits could receive less funding next year because the program’s resources would be spread thinner among unrelated organizations.
To help prevent these concerns from coming true, Texas Right to Life will continue to closely monitor the program and recruit legislators to ensure state agencies correctly implement this well-intentioned policy.
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✅ New help for pregnant college students
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Thankfully, the Legislature passed two bills to help college students who chose Life.
Senate Bill 412 will codify federal protections for pregnant women and parenting college students into Texas state law, defending them from discrimination.
Senate Bill 459 will require certain colleges to offer early registration for academic courses to parenting students so they can more easily create a class schedule that fits their family's needs.
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✅ Protections for hospital patients
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This session’s most notable victory is a reform to protect hospital patients.
House Bill 3162 by Chairwoman Stephanie Klick will:
- Prevent hospital committees from making life-and-death decisions against a patient’s will based on discriminatory “quality of life” judgments;
- Prohibit hospitals from withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from competent patients against their will; and
- Require hospitals to perform procedures necessary to facilitate a transfer before imposing a countdown on a patient's life.
More changes to state law are still needed to protect patients from the 10-Day Rule and the Texas Advance Directives Act. In the meantime, Texas Right to Life's Patient Advocacy team will continue defending patients targeted by anti-Life ethics in hospitals.
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Thank you for all your help on Pro-Life bills this year, John!
While we are disappointed to see lawmakers neglect preborn children in the historic first session after Roe, we have so much hope for this new chapter of the Pro-Life movement.
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P.S. Friend, if you support our Pro-Life mission, please consider a life-saving donation today!
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