1 | 1 | | 86R9461 LED-D |
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2 | 2 | | By: Hall S.B. No. 1027 |
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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 sonogram requirements for a pregnant minor seeking an |
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8 | 8 | | abortion. |
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9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 171.012(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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12 | 12 | | (a) Consent to an abortion is voluntary and informed only |
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13 | 13 | | if: |
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14 | 14 | | (1) the physician who is to perform the abortion |
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15 | 15 | | informs the pregnant woman on whom the abortion is to be performed |
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16 | 16 | | of: |
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17 | 17 | | (A) the physician's name; |
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18 | 18 | | (B) the particular medical risks associated with |
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19 | 19 | | the particular abortion procedure to be employed, including, when |
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20 | 20 | | medically accurate: |
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21 | 21 | | (i) the risks of infection and hemorrhage; |
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22 | 22 | | (ii) the potential danger to a subsequent |
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23 | 23 | | pregnancy and of infertility; and |
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24 | 24 | | (iii) the possibility of increased risk of |
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25 | 25 | | breast cancer following an induced abortion and the natural |
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26 | 26 | | protective effect of a completed pregnancy in avoiding breast |
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27 | 27 | | cancer; |
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28 | 28 | | (C) the probable gestational age of the unborn |
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29 | 29 | | child at the time the abortion is to be performed; and |
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30 | 30 | | (D) the medical risks associated with carrying |
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31 | 31 | | the child to term; |
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32 | 32 | | (2) the physician who is to perform the abortion or the |
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33 | 33 | | physician's agent informs the pregnant woman that: |
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34 | 34 | | (A) medical assistance benefits may be available |
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35 | 35 | | for prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care; |
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36 | 36 | | (B) the father is liable for assistance in the |
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37 | 37 | | support of the child without regard to whether the father has |
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38 | 38 | | offered to pay for the abortion; and |
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39 | 39 | | (C) public and private agencies provide |
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40 | 40 | | pregnancy prevention counseling and medical referrals for |
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41 | 41 | | obtaining pregnancy prevention medications or devices, including |
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42 | 42 | | emergency contraception for victims of rape or incest; |
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43 | 43 | | (3) the physician who is to perform the abortion or the |
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44 | 44 | | physician's agent: |
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45 | 45 | | (A) provides the pregnant woman with the |
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46 | 46 | | printed materials described by Section 171.014; and |
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47 | 47 | | (B) informs the pregnant woman that those |
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48 | 48 | | materials: |
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49 | 49 | | (i) have been provided by the Department of |
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50 | 50 | | State Health Services; |
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51 | 51 | | (ii) are accessible on an Internet website |
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52 | 52 | | sponsored by the department; |
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53 | 53 | | (iii) describe the unborn child and list |
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54 | 54 | | agencies that offer alternatives to abortion; and |
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55 | 55 | | (iv) include a list of agencies that offer |
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56 | 56 | | sonogram services at no cost to the pregnant woman; |
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57 | 57 | | (4) before any sedative or anesthesia is administered |
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58 | 58 | | to the pregnant woman and at least 24 hours before the abortion or |
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59 | 59 | | at least two hours before the abortion if the pregnant woman waives |
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60 | 60 | | this requirement by certifying that she currently lives 100 miles |
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61 | 61 | | or more from the nearest abortion provider that is a facility |
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62 | 62 | | licensed under Chapter 245 or a facility that performs more than 50 |
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63 | 63 | | abortions in any 12-month period: |
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64 | 64 | | (A) the physician who is to perform the abortion |
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65 | 65 | | or an agent of the physician who is also a sonographer certified by |
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66 | 66 | | a national registry of medical sonographers performs a sonogram on |
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67 | 67 | | the pregnant woman on whom the abortion is to be performed; |
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68 | 68 | | (B) the physician who is to perform the abortion |
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69 | 69 | | displays the sonogram images in a quality consistent with current |
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70 | 70 | | medical practice in a manner that the pregnant woman may view them; |
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71 | 71 | | (C) the physician who is to perform the abortion |
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72 | 72 | | provides, in a manner understandable to a layperson, a verbal |
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73 | 73 | | explanation of the results of the sonogram images, including a |
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74 | 74 | | medical description of the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, the |
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75 | 75 | | presence of cardiac activity, and the presence of external members |
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76 | 76 | | and internal organs; and |
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77 | 77 | | (D) the physician who is to perform the abortion |
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78 | 78 | | or an agent of the physician who is also a sonographer certified by |
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79 | 79 | | a national registry of medical sonographers makes audible the heart |
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80 | 80 | | auscultation for the pregnant woman to hear, if present, in a |
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81 | 81 | | quality consistent with current medical practice and provides, in a |
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82 | 82 | | manner understandable to a layperson, a simultaneous verbal |
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83 | 83 | | explanation of the heart auscultation; |
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84 | 84 | | (5) before receiving a sonogram under Subdivision |
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85 | 85 | | (4)(A) and before the abortion is performed and before any sedative |
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86 | 86 | | or anesthesia is administered, the pregnant woman completes and |
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87 | 87 | | certifies with her signature an election form that states as |
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88 | 88 | | follows: |
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89 | 89 | | "ABORTION AND SONOGRAM ELECTION |
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90 | 90 | | (1) THE INFORMATION AND PRINTED MATERIALS |
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91 | 91 | | DESCRIBED BY SECTIONS 171.012(a)(1)-(3), TEXAS HEALTH |
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92 | 92 | | AND SAFETY CODE, HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AND EXPLAINED TO |
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93 | 93 | | ME. |
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94 | 94 | | (2) I UNDERSTAND THE NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF |
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95 | 95 | | AN ABORTION. |
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96 | 96 | | (3) TEXAS LAW REQUIRES THAT I RECEIVE A SONOGRAM |
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97 | 97 | | PRIOR TO RECEIVING AN ABORTION. |
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98 | 98 | | (4) I UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE THE OPTION TO VIEW |
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99 | 99 | | THE SONOGRAM IMAGES. |
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100 | 100 | | (5) I UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE THE OPTION TO HEAR |
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101 | 101 | | THE HEARTBEAT. |
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102 | 102 | | (6) I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM REQUIRED BY LAW TO |
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103 | 103 | | HEAR AN EXPLANATION OF THE SONOGRAM IMAGES UNLESS I |
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104 | 104 | | CERTIFY IN WRITING TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: |
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105 | 105 | | ___ I AM PREGNANT AS A RESULT OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT, |
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106 | 106 | | INCEST, OR OTHER VIOLATION OF THE TEXAS PENAL CODE THAT |
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107 | 107 | | HAS BEEN REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES OR |
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108 | 108 | | THAT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED BECAUSE I REASONABLY |
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109 | 109 | | BELIEVE THAT DOING SO WOULD PUT ME AT RISK OF |
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110 | 110 | | RETALIATION RESULTING IN SERIOUS BODILY INJURY. |
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111 | 111 | | [___ I AM A MINOR AND OBTAINING AN ABORTION IN |
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112 | 112 | | ACCORDANCE WITH JUDICIAL BYPASS PROCEDURES UNDER |
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113 | 113 | | CHAPTER 33, TEXAS FAMILY CODE.] |
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114 | 114 | | ___ MY FETUS HAS AN IRREVERSIBLE MEDICAL |
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115 | 115 | | CONDITION OR ABNORMALITY, AS IDENTIFIED BY RELIABLE |
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116 | 116 | | DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES AND DOCUMENTED IN MY MEDICAL |
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117 | 117 | | FILE. |
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118 | 118 | | (7) I AM MAKING THIS ELECTION OF MY OWN FREE WILL |
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119 | 119 | | AND WITHOUT COERCION. |
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120 | 120 | | (8) FOR A WOMAN WHO LIVES 100 MILES OR MORE FROM |
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121 | 121 | | THE NEAREST ABORTION PROVIDER THAT IS A FACILITY |
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122 | 122 | | LICENSED UNDER CHAPTER 245, TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY |
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123 | 123 | | CODE, OR A FACILITY THAT PERFORMS MORE THAN 50 |
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124 | 124 | | ABORTIONS IN ANY 12-MONTH PERIOD ONLY: |
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125 | 125 | | I CERTIFY THAT, BECAUSE I CURRENTLY LIVE 100 |
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126 | 126 | | MILES OR MORE FROM THE NEAREST ABORTION PROVIDER THAT |
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127 | 127 | | IS A FACILITY LICENSED UNDER CHAPTER 245, TEXAS HEALTH |
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128 | 128 | | AND SAFETY CODE, OR A FACILITY THAT PERFORMS MORE THAN |
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129 | 129 | | 50 ABORTIONS IN ANY 12-MONTH PERIOD, I WAIVE THE |
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130 | 130 | | REQUIREMENT TO WAIT 24 HOURS AFTER THE SONOGRAM IS |
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131 | 131 | | PERFORMED BEFORE RECEIVING THE ABORTION |
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132 | 132 | | PROCEDURE. MY PLACE OF RESIDENCE IS:__________. |
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133 | 133 | | ________________________________________ |
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134 | 134 | | SIGNATURE DATE"; |
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135 | 135 | | (6) before the abortion is performed, the physician |
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136 | 136 | | who is to perform the abortion receives a copy of the signed, |
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137 | 137 | | written certification required by Subdivision (5); and |
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138 | 138 | | (7) the pregnant woman is provided the name of each |
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139 | 139 | | person who provides or explains the information required under this |
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140 | 140 | | subsection. |
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141 | 141 | | SECTION 2. Section 171.0122(d), Health and Safety Code, is |
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142 | 142 | | amended to read as follows: |
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143 | 143 | | (d) A pregnant woman may choose not to receive the verbal |
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144 | 144 | | explanation of the results of the sonogram images under Section |
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145 | 145 | | 171.012(a)(4)(C) if: |
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146 | 146 | | (1) the woman's pregnancy is a result of a sexual |
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147 | 147 | | assault, incest, or other violation of the Penal Code that has been |
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148 | 148 | | reported to law enforcement authorities or that has not been |
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149 | 149 | | reported because she has a reason that she declines to reveal |
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150 | 150 | | because she reasonably believes that to do so would put her at risk |
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151 | 151 | | of retaliation resulting in serious bodily injury; or |
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152 | 152 | | (2) [the woman is a minor and obtaining an abortion in |
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153 | 153 | | accordance with judicial bypass procedures under Chapter 33, Family |
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154 | 154 | | Code; or |
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155 | 155 | | [(3)] the fetus has an irreversible medical condition |
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156 | 156 | | or abnormality, as previously identified by reliable diagnostic |
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157 | 157 | | procedures and documented in the woman's medical file. |
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158 | 158 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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159 | 159 | | to an abortion performed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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160 | 160 | | An abortion performed before the effective date of this Act is |
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161 | 161 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the abortion is performed, |
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162 | 162 | | and that law continues in effect for that purpose. |
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163 | 163 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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