Sonogram Bill Heads To Governor's Desk [Politics]
Despite a last minute request by disability rights advocates for language changes, House Bill 15, the controversial sonogram bill, now heads to Governor Rick Perry's desk for his signature. With some exceptions, the new law will impose a requirement that women seeking abortions in Texas receive a sonogram, have the opportunity to listen to the fetal heartbeat, receive counseling (including a detailed description of fetal development), and wait 24 hours before actually having the procedure.
There was never much question that the bill would pass in some form--Perry put mandatory sonogram legislation on his list of "emergency items" early on, right up there with Voter ID and Sanctuary City legislation, and a similar bill almost passed last session. The only real question was what the finished legislation would look like. The bill originated in the Senate as Senate Bill 16, authored by Senator Dan Patrick, R-Houston. As passed by the Senate after some debate, SB 16 contained exceptions for victims of rape and incest, and for women carrying fetuses with an irreversible medical condition or abnormality. The waiting period was reduced from 24 to two hours at the behest of Senator Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, whose district is the largest in Texas and has no abortion providers.
Meanwhile, HB 15, authored by Representative Sid Miller, R-Stephenville and sponsored by Patrick, was shambling to life. Miller's version of the bill contained no exceptions for rape, incest, or medical condition of the fetus, and stuck firmly to the 24-hour waiting period. Debate in the House was contentious and often personal. Democrats barraged the bill with amendments, most of which were tabled or voted down along party lines.
As amended by the Senate following House passage, HB 15 now contains elements of both bills--the 24-hour waiting period remains, for example, with an exception made for women living in rural areas. Women carrying fetuses with medical conditions may opt out of hearing the description of fetal development, as may victims of rape or incest. Concessions such as these aroused concern among pro-life groups, some of whom complain that the bill is too watered down to support, while civil liberties and pro-choice groups charge that the bill represents an intolerable imposition on a woman's right to choose and is the result of political point-scoring. However, Miller and Patrick joined forces to ask the House to accept all the amendments as added by the Senate, an agreement that effectively passes the bill. No word yet on how long it will take to implement the bill's provisions, but the bill could be signed into law as early as next week and will become effective within the next 30 days.
