87(R) SB 8 - Enrolled version - Texas

1 ACTrelatingto abortion,includingabortionsafterdetectio nof anunbornchild s heartbeat;authorizinga IT ENACTEDBY THE LEGISLATUREOF THE STATEOF knownas Texasneverrepealed,eitherexpresslyor by implication,thestatestatutesenactedbefor etherulinginRoev. Wade, (1973),thatprohibitand criminalizeabortionunlessthe mother slifeis in ,Healthand SafetyCode,is amendedby addingSubchapterH to readas follows:SUBCHAPTERH. DETECTIONOF thissubchapter:(1)AA"Fetalheartbeat"mean scardiacactivityor thesteadyandrepetitiverhythmiccontractio nof thefetalheartwithinthe gestationalsac.(2)AA"Gestationalage"mean stheamountof timethathas elapsedfromthe firstday of a woman s lastmenstrualperiod.

2 (3)AA"Gestationalsac"meansthestructureco mprisingthe extraembryonicmembranesthatenvelopthe unbornchildand thatis typicallyvisibleby ultrasoundafterthefourthweekof1234567891 011121314151617181920212223241pregnancy. (4)AA"Physician"meansanindividuallicense dtopracticemedicinein thisstate,includinga medicaldoctorand adoctorof osteopathicmedicine.(5)AA"Pregnancy"mean sthehumanfemalereproductiveconditionthat :(A)AAbeginswithfertilization;(B)AAoccur swhenthewomanis carryingthedevelopinghumanoffspring;and( C)AAis calculatedfromthefirstdayof thewoman s lastmenstrualperiod.(6)AA"Standardmedica lpractice"meansthedegreeofskill,care,and diligencethatan obstetricianof ordinaryjudgment,learning,and skillwouldemployin likecircumstances.

3 (7)AA"Unbornchild"meansa humanfetusor embryoin anystageof legislaturefinds,accordingto contemporarymedicalresearch,that:(1)AAfe talheartbeathas becomea key medicalpredictorthatan unbornchildwillreachlivebirth;(2)AAcardi acactivitybeginsata biologicallyidentifiablemomentin time,normallywhenthefetalheartisformedin the gestationalsac;(3)AATexashas compellinginterestsfromthe outsetofa woman s pregnancyin protectingthe healthof the womanand thelifeof the unbornchild;and(4)AAto makean ,thepregnantwomanhasa compellinginterestin knowingthe likelihoodof her unbornchildsurvivingtofull-termbirthbase don the presenceof PRESENCEOF FETALHEARTBEATREQUIRED;RECORD.

4 (a)AAForthepurposesof determiningthepresenceof a fetalheartbeatunderthissection,"standard medicalpractice"includesemployingthe appropriatemeansof detectingtheheartbeatbasedon theestimatedgestationalageof theunbornchildand the conditionof the womanand her pregnancy.(b)AAExceptas providedby ,a physicianmaynotknowinglyperformor inducean abortionon a pregnantwomanunlessthephysicianhasdeterm ined,in accordancewiththissection,whetherthewoma n s unbornchildhasa detectablefetalheartbeat.(c)AAIn makinga determinationunderSubsection(b),thephysi cianmustuse a testthatis:(1)AAconsistentwiththephysici an s goodfaithandreasonableunderstandingof standardmedicalpractice;and(2)AAappropri atefortheestimatedgestationalageoftheunb ornchildandtheconditionof thepregnantwomanandherpregnancy.

5 (d)AAA physicianmakinga determinationunderSubsection(b)shallreco rdin the pregnantwoman s medicalrecord:(1)AAthe estimatedgestationalage of the unbornchild;(2)AAthemethodusedto estimatethegestationalage;and(3)AAthetes tusedfordetectinga fetalheartbeat, date,time,and resultsof the UNBORNCHILDWITHDETECTABLEFETALHEARTBEAT; EFFECT.(a)AAExceptas ,a physicianmay not knowinglyperformor induceanabortionon a pregnantwomanif thephysiciandetecteda fetalheartbeatfortheunbornchildas requiredby performa testto detecta fetalheartbeat.(b)AAA physiciandoesnotviolatethissectionif thephysicianperformeda testfora fetalheartbeatas did not detecta fetalheartbeat.

6 (c)AAThissectiondoesnot affect:(1)AAtheprovisionsof thischapterthatrestrictorregulatean abortionby a particularmethodor duringa particularstageof pregnancy;or(2)AAany otherprovisionof statelaw ;RECORDS.(a) notapplyif a physicianbelievesa medicalemergencyexiststhatpreventscompli ancewiththissubchapter.(b)AAA physicianwhoperformsor inducesan abortionundercircumstancesdescribedby Subsection(a)shallmakewrittennotationsin the pregnantwoman s medicalrecordof:(1)AAthephysician s beliefthata medicalemergencynecessitatedthe abortion;and(2)AAthemedicalconditionof (c)AAA physicianperformingor inducingan abortionunderthissectionshallmaintainin the physician s practicerecordsacopyof the notationsmadeunderSubsection(b).

7 (a)AAThissubchapterdoesnot createor recognizea rightto abortionbeforeafetalheartbeatis detected.(b)AAThissubchaptermay not be construedto:(1)AAauthorizetheinitiationo f a causeof actionagainstor theprosecutionof a womanon whoman abortionisperformedor inducedor attemptedto be performedor inducedinviolationof thissubchapter;(2)AAwhollyor partlyrepeal,eitherexpresslyor byimplication,anyotherstatutethatregulat esor prohibitsabortion,includingChapter6-1/2, Title71, RevisedStatutes;or(3)AArestricta politicalsubdivisionfromregulatingor prohibitingabortionin a mannerthatis at leastas stringentasthe lawsof (a) anyotherlaw,therequirementsof thissubchaptershallbe enforcedexclusivelythroughthe privatecivilactionsdescribedin thissubchapter,and no enforcementof Chapters19and 22, PenalCode,in responseto violationsof thissubchapter,may be takenor threatenedby thisstate,a politicalsubdivision,adistrictor countyattorney,or an executiveor administrativeofficeror employeeof thisstateor a politicalsubdivisionagainstany person,exceptas providedin (b)AASubsection(a) may not be construedto.

8 (1)AAlegalizethe conductprohibitedby thissubchapteror by Chapter6-1/2,Title71, RevisedStatutes;(2)AAlimitin anywayor affecttheavailabilityof aremedyestablishedby ;or(3)AAlimittheenforceabilityof anyotherlawsthatregulateor AIDINGORABETTINGVIOLATION.(a)AAAnyperson ,otherthanan officeroremployeeof a stateor localgovernmentalentityin thisstate,maybringa civilactionagainstany personwho:(1)AAperformsor inducesan abortionin violationofthissubchapter;(2)AAknowingly engagesin conductthataidsor abetsthe performanceor inducementof an abortion,includingpayingforor reimbursingthecostsof an abortionthroughinsuranceorotherwise,if the abortionis performedor inducedin violationofthissubchapter,regardlessof whetherthepersonknewor shouldhaveknownthattheabortionwouldbe performedor inducedinviolationof thissubchapter;or(3)AAintendsto engagein theconductdescribedbySubdivision(1) or (2).

9 (b)AAIf a claimantprevailsin an actionbroughtunderthissection,the courtshallaward:(1)AAinjunctivereliefsuf ficienttopreventthedefendantfromviolatin gthissubchapteror engagingin actsthataid or abetviolationsof thissubchapter; (2)AAstatutorydamagesin an amountof notlessthan$10,000for eachabortionthatthe defendantperformedor inducedin violationof thissubchapter,and for eachabortionperformedorinducedin violationof thissubchapterthatthe defendantaidedorabetted;and(3)AAcostsand attorney s fees.(c)AANotwithstandingSubsection(b),a courtmaynotawardreliefunderthissectionin responseto a violationof Subsection(a)(1)or (2)if thedefendantdemonstratesthatthedefendant previouslypaidthefullamountof statutorydamagesunderSubsection(b)(2)in a previousactionfor thatparticularabortionperformedor inducedin violationof thissubchapter,or fortheparticularconductthataidedor abettedan abortionperformedorinducedin violationof thissubchapter.

10 (d)AANotwithstandingChapter16, CivilPracticeand RemediesCode,or anyotherlaw,a personmaybringan actionunderthissectionnot laterthanthe fourthanniversaryof the datethe causeof actionaccrues.(e)AANotwithstandingany otherlaw,the followingare not adefenseto an actionbroughtunderthissection:(1)AAignor anceor mistakeof law;(2)AAa defendant s beliefthatthe requirementsof thissubchapterare unconstitutionalor wereunconstitutional;(3)AAa defendant s relianceon any courtdecisionthathas beenoverruledon appealor by a subsequentcourt,evenif thatcourtdecisionhad not beenoverruledwhenthe defendantengagedinconductthatviolatesthi ssubchapter; (4)AAa defendant s relianceon anystateor federalcourtdecisionthatis not bindingon the courtin whichthe actionhas beenbrought;(5)AAnon-mutualissuepreclusi onor non-mutualclaimpreclusion.