Bill Text: TX HB1685 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to prohibition of abortion; creating a criminal offense.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 11-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-04 - Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence [HB1685 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB1685-Introduced.html
  86R8713 SCL-F
 
  By: Capriglione H.B. No. 1685
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to prohibition of abortion; creating a criminal offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 10, Penal Code, is amended by adding
  Chapter 50 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 50. ABORTION
         Sec. 50.01.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Abortion" has the meaning assigned by Section
  245.002, Health and Safety Code.
               (2)  "Fertilization" means the point in time when a
  male human sperm penetrates the zona pellucida of a female human
  ovum.
               (3)  "Pregnant" means the female human reproductive
  condition of having a living unborn child within the female's body
  through the entire embryonic and fetal stages of the unborn child's
  development from fertilization until birth.
               (4)  "Reasonable medical judgment" means a medical
  judgment made by a reasonably prudent physician, knowledgeable
  about the case and the treatment possibilities for the medical
  conditions involved.
               (5)  "Unborn child" means an individual living member
  of the homo sapiens species from fertilization until birth,
  including the entire embryonic and fetal stages of development.
         Sec. 50.02.  PERFORMANCE OF ABORTION. (a) A person commits
  an offense under Chapter 19 if an unborn child dies as a result of an
  abortion performed or attempted by the person.
         (b)  A person commits an offense under Chapter 22 if an
  unborn child sustains bodily injury as a result of an abortion
  performed or attempted by the person.
         (c)  It is an exception to the application of this section
  that:
               (1)  the actor is a licensed physician;
               (2)  in the actor's reasonable medical judgment, the
  pregnant female on whom the abortion is performed or attempted has a
  life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or
  arising from a pregnancy that places the female at risk of death or
  poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily
  function unless the abortion is performed; and
               (3)  the actor performs or attempts to perform the
  abortion in a manner that, in the actor's reasonable medical
  judgment, provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to
  survive unless, in the actor's reasonable medical judgment, that
  manner would create:
                     (A)  a greater risk of the pregnant female's
  death; or
                     (B)  a serious risk of substantial impairment of a
  major bodily function of the pregnant female.
         (d)  The exception provided by Subsection (c) is not
  available if, at the time the abortion was performed or attempted,
  the actor knew the risk of death or a substantial impairment of a
  major bodily function arose from a claim or diagnosis that the
  female would engage in conduct that might result in the female's
  death or in substantial impairment of a major bodily function.
         (e)  It is an exception to the application of this section
  that the conduct subject to the offense is medical treatment
  provided to a pregnant female by a physician and that medical
  treatment results in the accidental death of or unintentional
  bodily injury to an unborn child.
         (f)  This section may not be construed to authorize the
  prosecution of a pregnant female on whom an abortion is performed or
  attempted.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 6-1/2, Title 71, Revised Statutes, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 3.  (a)  Sections 1 and 2 of this Act take effect, to
  the extent permitted, on the 30th day after:
               (1)  the issuance of a United States Supreme Court
  judgment overruling, wholly or partly, Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113
  (1973), as modified by Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833
  (1992), thereby allowing the states to prohibit abortion;
               (2)  the issuance of any other United States Supreme
  Court decision that recognizes, wholly or partly, the authority of
  the states to prohibit abortion; or
               (3)  adoption of an amendment to the United States
  Constitution that, wholly or partly, restores to the states the
  authority to prohibit abortion.
         (b)  Chapter 50, Penal Code, as added by this Act, applies
  only to an offense committed on or after the date described by
  Subsection (a) of this section. An offense committed before the
  date described by Subsection (a) of this section is governed by the
  law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For purposes of this
  subsection, an offense is committed before the date described by
  Subsection (a) of this section if any element of the offense occurs
  before that date.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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