A Texas senator said the statehouse may consider further clarifications to Texas’ abortion ban exceptions.
Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) noted Texas’ abortion ban already has exceptions for when the life of the mother is in danger. However, he said further legislation could be helpful for doctors who fear prosecution when conducting abortion procedures deemed medically necessary.
“We passed a bill last year to make it clear that an ectopic pregnancy, or a situation like that where the mom’s life is in danger or health is in danger, then that’s an exception — and everyone is for that,” Hughes told WFAA.
“We may need to further clarify the law in Texas on that,” he continued. “We are for protecting those little babies and protecting those moms. And we can do both. So you may see legislation about that next session.”
Gov. Greg Abbott did not respond to The Dallas Express‘ request for comment on whether he supports legislation further clarifying medical exceptions to the abortion ban.
The Texas Medical Board adopted guidelines last month on how doctors should perform abortions that qualify under the medical exception of Texas’ ban, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The rule established a seven-day window for doctors after conducting an abortion to justify how it qualifies as a medical exception.
The board initially proposed stricter documentation requirements but acquiesced in response to criticism from doctors.
“Unfortunately, the increased requirements for documentation are truly unworkable,” Dr. Richard Todd Ivey, a Houston OB/GYN, testified at a May 20 hearing, according to The Texas Tribune.
“The need for literature searches, attempts to transfer patients by any means available, documentation of how we determined a woman’s danger of death or serious risks, the need for consultations or opinions of medical ethics committees, attempts at alternative treatments and determination of a woman’s risk to support a particular method of termination. These are all incredibly cumbersome and time-consuming.”