| 1 | 1 | | 86R13695 SCL-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bailes H.B. No. 3873 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Chapter 50 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | CHAPTER 50. ALTERNATIVES TO ABORTION PROGRAM |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 50.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Abortion" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 14 | 14 | | 245.002. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Program" means the Texas Alternatives to Abortion |
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| 16 | 16 | | Program established under this chapter. |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 50.0002. ESTABLISHMENT. (a) The commission shall |
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| 18 | 18 | | establish the Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program to enhance and |
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| 19 | 19 | | increase resources that promote childbirth for women facing |
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| 20 | 20 | | unplanned pregnancies. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The commission shall establish a statewide network of |
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| 22 | 22 | | service providers, including pregnancy support centers, adoption |
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| 23 | 23 | | assistance providers, and maternity homes, to provide the services |
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| 24 | 24 | | described by Section 50.0003 under the program. The commission may |
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| 25 | 25 | | contract with the service providers to provide the services in |
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| 26 | 26 | | accordance with this chapter. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Sec. 50.0003. SERVICES. (a) Using the statewide network of |
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| 28 | 28 | | service providers established under Section 50.0002, the |
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| 29 | 29 | | commission shall ensure that program services are available |
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| 30 | 30 | | throughout this state. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (b) Services provided under the program include: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) counseling and mentoring; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) care coordination for prenatal services, |
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| 34 | 34 | | including connecting program participants to health programs; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) educational materials and information about |
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| 36 | 36 | | pregnancy and parenting; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (4) referrals to governmental and social service |
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| 38 | 38 | | programs, including child care, transportation, housing, and state |
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| 39 | 39 | | and federal benefit programs; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (5) classes on life skills, personal finance, |
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| 41 | 41 | | parenthood, stress management, job training, job placement, and |
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| 42 | 42 | | methods for obtaining high school equivalency certificates; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (6) provision of supplies for infant care and |
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| 44 | 44 | | pregnancy, including car seats, cribs, maternity clothes, infant |
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| 45 | 45 | | diapers, and formula; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (7) support groups in maternity homes. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) The commission or service providers may not provide |
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| 48 | 48 | | family planning services under the program. |
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| 49 | 49 | | Sec. 50.0004. ELIGIBILITY. The program is available to a |
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| 50 | 50 | | resident of this state who is: |
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| 51 | 51 | | (1) a pregnant woman; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (2) the biological father of an unborn child; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (3) the biological parent of a child who is 24 months |
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| 54 | 54 | | of age or younger; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (4) an adoptive parent of a child who is 24 months of |
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| 56 | 56 | | age or younger; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (5) a prospective adoptive parent of an unborn child; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (6) a former program participant who has experienced |
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| 59 | 59 | | the loss of a child; and |
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| 60 | 60 | | (7) a parent or legal guardian of a pregnant minor who |
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| 61 | 61 | | is a program client. |
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| 62 | 62 | | Sec. 50.0005. PROVISION OF SERVICES. The commission and |
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| 63 | 63 | | service providers shall provide services under the program based on |
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| 64 | 64 | | the needs of the program participants. |
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| 65 | 65 | | Sec. 50.0006. FUNDING. (a) The commission shall, to the |
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| 66 | 66 | | greatest extent possible, seek federal, governmental, and private |
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| 67 | 67 | | funding to supplement and match funding provided to the program. |
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| 68 | 68 | | (b) The commission or a service provider may not: |
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| 69 | 69 | | (1) use funding provided to the program to perform, |
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| 70 | 70 | | induce, assist, or refer an abortion; or |
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| 71 | 71 | | (2) grant program funds to an abortion provider or an |
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| 72 | 72 | | affiliate of an abortion provider. |
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| 73 | 73 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 74 | 74 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 75 | 75 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 76 | 76 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 77 | 77 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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