Transcription of 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 (2)AA"Gestationalage"meanstheamountof timethathas elapsedfromthe firstday of a woman s lastmenstrualperiod.(3)AA"Gestationalsac "meansthestructurecomprisingthe 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.
3 (6)AA"Standardmedicalpractice"meansthede greeofskill,care,anddiligencethatan obstetricianof ordinaryjudgment,learning,and skillwouldemployin likecircumstances.(7)AA"Unbornchild"mean sa 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.
4 And(4)AAto makean ,thepregnantwomanhasa compellinginterestin knowingthe likelihoodof her unbornchildsurvivingtofull-termbirthbase don the presenceof PRESENCEOF FETALHEARTBEATREQUIRED;RECORD.(a)AAForth epurposesof 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.
5 (c)AAIn makinga determinationunderSubsection(b),thephysi cianmustuse a testthatis:(1)AAconsistentwiththephysici an s goodfaithandreasonableunderstandingof standardmedicalpractice;and(2)AAappropri atefortheestimatedgestationalageoftheunb ornchildandtheconditionof thepregnantwomanandherpregnancy.(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.
6 (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.(c)AAThissectiondoesnot affect:(1)AAtheprovisionsof thischapterthatrestrictorregulatean abortionby a particularmethodor duringa particularstageof pregnancy;or(2)AAany otherprovisionof statelaw ;RECORDS.
7 (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).
8 (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)
9 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:(1)AAlegalizethe conductprohibitedby thissubchapteror by Chapter6-1/2,Title71, RevisedStatutes;(2)AAlimitin anywayor affecttheavailabilityof aremedyestablishedby ;or(3)AAlimittheenforceabilityof anyotherlawsthatregulateor AIDINGORABETTINGVIOLATION.
10 (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).
