Published
March 19, 2021

AUSTIN, TX — After lengthy hearings on Monday of this week, the Senate State Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) voted out seven pro-life bills, including three of Texas Alliance for Life’s priority bills. The approved bills include:

  • SB 9, the Human Life Protection Act, by Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) — a complete ban on abortion, beginning at fertilization, that goes into effect when and to the extent the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
  • SB 394, by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) — enhance our state’s chemical abortion safety protocols so that drug-induced abortions maintain adequate safety protections if the federal courts or the Biden/Harris Administration prevent enforcement of the FDA regulations.
  • SB 650, by Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) — a ban on public funding for “abortion logistics support services” to promote elective abortion.

“Pro-life bills are moving in the Texas Senate, and we are ecstatic,” said Joe Pojman, Ph.D., Texas Alliance for Life’s executive director. “We cannot thank Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Chairman Bryan Hughes enough for advancing these critically important bills. Given the current national political climate and Supreme Court makeup, these bills will preserve the gains we have while achieving the greatest legislative goal of our movement — complete protection for unborn children beginning at conception — as quickly as possible.”

The bills are also supported by a coalition of major pro-life organizations, including the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, Texans for Life Coalition, and others.

The bills could move to the Senate floor as early as next week.

Several members Texas Alliance for Life’s staff and invited witnesses testified:

Dr. Joe Pojman, TAL’s Executive Director, on SB 9:

Paul Linton, Esq., TAL’s Special Counsel, on SB 9:

Rachel Schroder, TAL Intern, on SB 9:

Amy O’Donnell, TAL’s Communications Director, on SB 394:

Sylvia Johnson-Matthews, Executive Director of Houston Pregnancy Help Center, on SB 9

Jeri Lynn Scott, Executive Director of Resources for Women, on SB 9:

Dr. Joe Pojman, TAL’s Executive Director, on SB 650:

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