With Texas House cleared, omnibus pro-life bill needs Senate passage

AUSTIN—On Monday in a 95-34 vote, the Texas House approved Senate Bill 5, a pro-life omnibus bill restricting abortions after 20 weeks of conception and requiring increased medical standards of abortion providers.

The bill was considered for a final vote in the House mid-morning on Monday after Democrats were able to delay a reconvening of proceedings by more than two hours. Hours earlier, at around 3:30 a.m., it passed a preliminary vote, 97-33, after many hours of debate and tactical delays by opponents.

But the legislation must pass a Senate concurrence vote by midnight on Tuesday before going to Gov. Rick Perry, who has said he would sign it.

The omnibus bill would place substantial restrictions on abortions past 20 weeks of conception and requires: abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within a 30-mile radius of the clinic; abortion clinics to meet standards similar to outpatient centers; and greater physician oversight in the dissemination of the abortion medication RU-486.

An update to this story will follow later.

TEXAN Correspondent
Bonnie Pritchett
Most Read

Cooperative effort among state disaster relief teams assists ranchers affected by Panhandle wildfires

CANADIAN—A massive cooperative effort among Southern Baptist Disaster Relief state teams, including Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief, rushed 1,031 large round bales of hay in early March to areas devastated by recent Panhandle wildfires. …

Stay informed on the news that matters most.

Stay connected to quality news affecting the lives of southern baptists in Texas and worldwide. Get Texan news delivered straight to your home and digital device.