Proposed abortion restrictions have drawn crowds of protesters and supporters to the Capitol in Austin. (Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)
Texas legislators resume debate next week on proposed abortion restrictions. Advocates say they want to protect women and unborn children. Opponents say the restrictions would force all but five of the state’s abortion providers to close, infringing on women’s legal rights and endangering their health. Here is some information to consider when weighing the arguments.
What proposal is now on the table? The main one is House Bill 2. Click here to read it.
What makes HB2 controversial? Three provisions have attracted the most attention:
- Abortion clinics would have to begin meeting the infrastructure requirements of facilities that specialize in outpatient surgeries – so-called ambulatory surgical centers. This would mean major new expenses.
- Most abortions would be illegal 20 weeks or more after conception. Proponents say fetuses can feel pain by that point; opponents disagree. The current rule is 24 weeks.
- Doctors performing abortions would need permission to admit patients at a hospital within 30 miles, in case the pregnant female experiences complications. Some abortion doctors currently lack hospital privileges.
Have similar measures been enacted elsewhere? About half the states have taken some steps like these, sometimes inspiring legal challenges.
How many abortion clinics are in Texas? There are 36:
- 7 in Houston plus an eighth in the suburb of Stafford
- 7 in San Antonio
- 4 in Dallas
- 3 in Austin
- 2 in Fort Worth
- 2 in El Paso
- 1 each in Beaumont, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Killeen, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, San Angelo and Waco
How many ambulatory surgical centers perform abortions? Four reported abortions in 2011, the most recent year for which statistics are available. One abortion clinic in Fort Worth recently converted to a surgical center that performs abortions.
Which abortions would Texas permit after 20 weeks? There are two types: those necessary to save the pregnant female’s life or “major bodily function,” and those “performed on unborn children with severe fetal abnormalities.”
Are many pregnancies now terminated after 20 weeks? They were less than 1 percent of the total in 2011. All were performed at ambulatory surgical centers or hospitals, as required by a state law that took effect in 2004. … [visit site to read more]
