| 1 | 1 | | 85S11050 AJZ-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Fallon H.J.R. No. 49 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A JOINT RESOLUTION |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | proposing a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to life |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | of unborn children and prohibiting abortion to the fullest extent |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | possible under law. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 19, Article I, Texas Constitution, is |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 19. (a) No citizen of this State shall be deprived of |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | life, liberty, property, privileges or immunities, or in any manner |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | disfranchised, except by the due course of the law of the land. |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | (b) With respect to the right to life described by |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Subsection (a) of this section, the term "citizen" includes each |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | member of the species Homo sapiens at each stage of life, including |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | the moment of fertilization or other moment at which a member of the |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | human species begins to develop. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (c) The right to life guaranteed by this section is vested |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | in each member of the human species, born and unborn. |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (d) This section may not be construed to: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (1) require the prosecution of a woman for the death of |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | her unborn child; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (2) prohibit in vitro fertilization; or |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (3) prohibit the use of birth control or other means of |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | preventing fertilization. |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (e) To the fullest extent possible under law, abortion is |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | prohibited in this state, except that an abortion may be performed |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | on a woman who: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (1) suffers from a life-threatening physical |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | that, as certified by a physician, places the woman in danger of |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | function unless an abortion is performed; or |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (2) is pregnant as a result of an act of rape or |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | incest. |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2017. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | to life of unborn children and prohibiting abortion to the fullest |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | extent possible under law." |
|---|