Filing more than 35 anti-abortion bills this session — which runs through May 29 —  backwards Republican politicians have made clear their intention to further interfere in decisions that should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor.

Their goal: to eviscerate access and erode autonomy by adding these restrictions — which range from the cruel to the bizarre — to the already existing mountain of restrictions and barriers faced by a woman seeking an abortion in Texas.

Click here to take action to stop these bills, and we’ll keep you posted on targeted actions as we move through session. We’ve also included Capitol office phone numbers below in case you want to let these lawmakers know you oppose their bills.

Abortion Bans

SJR 9 by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood: 512-463-0102), HJR 121 by Rep. Pat Fallon (R- Friscoe: 512-463-0694), HJR 122 by Rep. Valoree Swanson (R- Spring: 512-463-0572), and HJR 123 by Rep. Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth- 512-463-0562) would amend the Texas Constitution to ban abortion. Constitutional amendments go on the ballot in Texas after a two-thirds vote in both chambers and must be approved by Texas voters.

Status: SJR 9, Referred to Health & Human Services; HJR 121, Referred to State Affairs Committee; HJR 122, Reffered to State Affairs Committee; HJR 123, Referred to State Affairs Committee

HJR 104 by Rep. Matt Shaheen is a resolution calling for a ratification of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban abortion.

Status: HRJ 104 Referred to State & Federal Power & Responsibility, Select

HB 87 by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler: 512-463-0584) would force a woman who discovers a severe fetal abnormality — a fetus that cannot survive outside the womb — after 20 weeks to carry the pregnancy to term.

Status:  HB 87, Referred to House State Affairs

HB 948 by Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington: 512-463-0624) would criminalize abortion and a woman who has an abortion.

Status: HB 948, Referred to House State Affairs

HB 1049 by Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring: 512-463-0572) would violate the doctor-patient relationship and would ban abortions except in very limited circumstances and would revoke the license of physicians performing abortions outside these very limited exceptions.

Status: HB 1049, Referred to House State Affairs

Insurance Coverage Restrictions

SB 20 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood: 512-463-0111) and HB 1113 by State Rep. John Smithee (R-Amarillo 512-463-0702) would ban insurance coverage of abortion in all plans, whether exchange-based or private, limiting Texans’ access to care based on their income.

Status: SB 20 Passed out of Senate; HB 1113, Left Pending in House State Affairs Committee

Fetal Burial

HB 35/HB 201 by Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana: 512-463-0730) would require the cremation or burial of embryonic and fetal tissue after an abortion or miscarriage. This cruel measure is entirely medically unnecessary and is designed to stigmatize and shame women seeking abortion and cut off access to abortion. A corresponding rule proposed by Governor Greg Abbott — proposed just days after the Supreme Court struck down two Texas abortions restrictions as unconstitutional — is being challenged in federal court and has been temporarily blocked from going into effect by a federal judge.

Status: HB 35, Left Pending in State Affairs Committee; HB 201, No action taken in committee

SB 258 by Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas: 512-463-0116) would force a woman seeking an abortion to fill out a form on the burial or cremation of embryonic and fetal tissue.

Status: SB 258, Passed out of Senate

SB 406 by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood: 512-463-0102) and HB 2348 by Rep. Valoree Swanson (R- Spring: 512-463-0572) would require a death certificate for and the cremation or burial of embryonic and fetal tissue.

Status: SB 406 Referred to Health & Human Services, HB 2348 Referred to House State of Affairs Committee

HB  2349 by Rep. Valoree Swanson (R- Spring: 512-463-0572) would require a death certificate to be filed for every abortion in the state.

Status: HB  2349, Referred to House State Affairs Committee

Bans on Specific Abortion Procedures

SB 8 by Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown: 512-463-0105) and HB 200 by Rep. Cindy Burkett (R-Sunnyvale: 512-463-0464) would prohibit doctors from performing a specific abortion procedure that the anti-abortion movement has branded a “partial birth abortion.” These bills are based in and perpetuate extreme anti-abortion ideology rather than being grounded in science or practice, even. The intact dilation and evacuation (D and X) abortion procedure — as is it actually called by the medical community — is already prohibited by federal law. As is the the provision of SB 8 that would ban that sale of fetal tissue.

Status: SB 8, Passed out of Senate; HB 200, Left pending in committee

SB 415 by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock: 512-463-0128) and HB 844 by State Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth: 512-463-0599) would ban the most commonly used abortion method performed in the second trimester, dilation and evacuation (D&E), by criminalizing doctors, and uses unscientific and inflammatory language to stigmatize the procedure.

Status: SB 415, Passed out of Senate; HB 844, Referred to House State of Affairs

Coerced Abortion Myth

HB 612 by Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano: 512-463-0544) uses the myth of coerced abortion to impose a 72+ hour waiting period and ignores the complexities of intervening in cases of domestic or sexual violence.

Status: HB 612, Referred to House State of Affairs

HB 3246 and HB 3248 by Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano: 512-463-0544) perpetuate the myth of coerced abortion.

Biased Counseling and Withholding Information

SB 25 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe: 512-463-0104) and HB 434 by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton: 512-463-0478) would eliminate the “wrongful birth” legal claim and shield medical professionals from liability for withholding information that may have resulted in a woman obtaining an abortion. By potentially limiting the information a woman is entitled to receive, this bill could undermine a woman’s ability to decide whether or not to have an abortion.

Status: SB 25, Passed out of Senate; HB 434 Committee Report Sent to Calendars

HB 1971 by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R- Tyler: 512-463-0584) and SB 1427 by Kelly Hancock (R- North Richland Hills: 512-463-0109) would require a pregnant woman be given a list of infant hospice care options to dissuade her from having an abortion. 

Status: HB 1971, Referred to State Affairs Committee; SB 1427, Referred to Health & Human Services Committee

Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers

HB 144 by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler: 512-463-0584) would increase the reporting requirements imposed on abortion providers.

Status: HB 144, Referred to House State Affairs

HB 1936 by Rep. Drew Springer (R-Muenster: 512-463-0526) and SB 855 by Sen. Donna Campbell (R- New Braunfels: 512-463-0125)would prohibit abortion facilities and their affiliates from entering into any transaction with any government entity.

Status: HB 1936, Reported Favorably out of House Committee, Placed on General State Calendar; SB 855, Referred to Health and Human Services Committee

HB 3544 by Rep. Briscoe Cain (R- Deer Park: 512-463-0733) would bar state funds from going to facilities that perform stem cell research and to health care providers who perform abortions.

Status: HB 3544, Referred to House State Affairs Committee

HB 3771 by Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana: 512-463-0730) would change the legal definition of abortion.

Status: HB 3771, Reported Favorably out of House 

SB 139 by Sen. Van Taylor (R-Plano: 512-463-0108) and HB 1960 by Rep. Jodie Laubenberg (R-Parker: 512-463-0186) would alter the licensing of abortion facilities.

Status: SB 139, Passed out of Senate; HB 1960, Referred to Public Health Committee

SB 872 by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock: 512-463-0128) would place medically unnecessary and burdensome reporting requirements on abortion providers.

Status: SB 872, Referred to Senate State Affairs Committee

SB 1377 by Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R- Lakeway: 512-463-0124) and HB 2858 by Rep. DeWayne Burns (R- Cleburne: 512-463-0538)  would require abortion clinics to post a sign with information for the national human trafficking hotline, warning patients that a forced abortion or labor is a criminal offense.

Status: SB 1377, Referred to State Affairs Committee; HB 2858 Reported Favorably out of Committee

SB 1602 by Sen. Donna Campbell (R- New Braunfels: 512-463-0125) and HB 2962 by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R- Southlake: 512-463-0690) would alter the reporting requirements for abortion clinics.

Status: SB 1602, Passed out of Senate; HB 2962, Left Pending in Committee

Ed. Note: This post was originally published on January 10, 2017 and will updated throughout session.