Signed by Governor Greg Abbott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that exempts certain cases in which the life of the mother is threatened from existing abortion bans in Texas.

Highlights:

• Specifies that this Act applies to civil action brought against a physician or health care provider for an alleged violation of certain provisions of the Health and Safety Code (Sec. 2).

• Exempts cases from the prohibition against abortion if (Sec. 3):

• The person performing, inducing, or attempting the abortion is a licensed physician; and

• In the exercise of reasonable medical judgment, the pregnant female on whom the abortion is performed, induced, or attempted has a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy.

• Specifies that a physician who treats a condition described shall do so in a manner that, in the exercise of reasonable medical judgment, provides the best opportunity for survival of an unborn child (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that, in order to exempt an abortion, a physician’s reasonable medical judgment must conclude a greater risk of (Sec. 4):

• The pregnant female’s death; or

• Substantial impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant female.

• Specifies that reasonable medical judgment in providing medical treatment to a pregnant female includes removing (Sec. 4):

• An ectopic pregnancy; or

• A dead, unborn child whose death was caused by spontaneous abortion.

• Specifies that this doesn't apply to an abortion performed if, in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment, the abortion necessitates (Sec. 6):

• The immediate abortion of her pregnancy without the delay necessary to determine the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child;

• The abortion of her pregnancy even though the post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 or more weeks; or

• The use of a method of abortion other than the method described.

• Specifies that this act takes effect immediately upon passage if it receives a vote of two-thirds of members of each chamber of the Legislature, or on September 1, 2025 if it does not receive two-thirds support (Sec. 22).

Full Bill Text