Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Corte (R-San Antonio)

Summary:

Current law requires physicians to give a woman certain information at least 24 hours before having an abortion.  This includes standard information about the procedure that is commonly provided by voice recording over the phone.  The physician must also offer a woman seeking an abortion the opportunity to view additional, state-directed materials that are available on a website, by mail, or in the clinic.  HB 21 would have changed the current law in two ways. First, it would have disallowed clinics from providing the standard information by audio or video recording.  The bill would have required physicians to provide this information orally in person or over the phone.  Second, it would have mandated that a woman be given the state-directed materials prior to having an abortion, even if she did not want to review them.

PPNT Position:

Opposed—There was no medical reason for either requirement.  It is standard care in the medical community for patient education to be communicated through video or audio recordings, and this bill would have done nothing new to inform women.  Rather, it would have made the provision of abortion more difficult for clinics and physicians, thereby decreasing a woman's access to the procedure.  Even worse, the state-directed materials provide inaccurate information intended to dissuade a woman from having an abortion.  For example, they discuss a link between abortion and breast cancer that does not exist.

Latest Action:

04/25/2007 - Voted favorably from the House State Affairs Committee and sent to House Calendars Committee.

Recorded Votes:

4/25/07 - House Committee Vote (Passed 7-2).  PPNT opposed this bill. For (Anti-Choice) Against (Pro-Choice)  Rep. Paxton, Ken (R-McKinney) Rep. Veasey, Marc (D-Fort Worth)  Rep. Cook, Byron (R-Corsicana)    Rep. Flynn, Dan (R-Van)     Rep. Parker, Tan (R-Flower Mound)