Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today released the following statement honoring tomorrow’s two-year anniversary of House Bill 2, which put important measures in place to protect women’s health and the unborn:
“Two years ago this weekend, House Bill 2 was signed into law, recognizing the dignity of life in the womb at 20 weeks, as well as the need to improve both sanitary conditions and the quality of care available to Texas women. I was proud to co-sponsor House Bill 2 in the Texas Senate and help elevate the Lone Star State as a leader for life, and I’m proud to have led the effort to defend portions of HB 2 in court. We mark this day in the shadow of the recently released video that shows a senior Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of baby body parts. This video both raises even more questions about an industry that takes the lives of the unborn for profit, and reminds us all that there is still more to be done to better protect life and women’s health. I will continue vigorously defending HB 2’s important safeguards in court to ensure that women are not subject to substandard levels of care and that basic health standards are met by these facilities.”
House Bill 2, which was signed into law by Texas Gov. Rick Perry on July 18, 2013, was passed in the second-called special session of the 83rd Texas Legislature to raise the quality of care and protect the health and welfare of women.
The law has four main provisions. It prohibits abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and requires abortion practitioners to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where an abortion is performed. It also requires that RU-486, the abortion-inducing drug, be administered in person, and that all abortion clinics to comply with the standards set for ambulatory surgical centers.
On June 19, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rightly rejected a motion to stop portions of House Bill 2 designed to protect women’s health from taking effect. The U.S. Supreme Court delayed the implementation these provisions on June 29. Attorney General Paxton remains committed to defending this law in court to protect the health and safety of Texas women.
This week the Texas Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood following the publication of a video showing a Senior Director for the organization discussing the sale of baby body parts.