Texas Sonogram Abortion Bill Passed By State Lawmakers

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas lawmakers have passed legislation requiring doctors to perform a sonogram before conducting an abortion.

The legislation requires doctors to conduct a sonogram at least 24 hours before an abortion and to provide the woman with the opportunity to see the results and hear the fetal heartbeat. The doctor is also required to describe what the sonogram shows.

In cases of incest, rape or fetal abnormality, the woman doesn't have to hear a description of the fetus.

Texas Governor Rick Perry, a Republican, stands behind the controversial measure. While different versions of the proposal were under debate earlier this year, Perry regarded the legislation as an emergency priority.

"Ensuring Texans have access to all the information when making such an important decision is a critical step in our efforts to protect life, and I look forward to this legislation reaching my desk very soon," said Perry in a statement earlier this week, lauding the state legislature for advancing the measure.

Proponents say the law is necessary to make sure women understand what an abortion entails. Opponents say it would interfere in the doctor-patient relationship.

“I think it’s very demeaning to women and I think we have more important things to do like balance the budget without hurting families and make sure we can fully fund education and healthcare and take care of things that are important to our economy and not political partisan issues such as a sonogram bill I thought it was a very intrusive example of big government,” said State Rep. Carol Alvarado, according to My Fox Houston.

The Lone Star State outlet relays a statement issued by NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, a non-profit state-wide organization, on the legislation:

"Patrick consistently fails to publicly mention the hardship that the 24-waiting period between the sonogram and abortion will cause for those who live in the 93% of Texas counties that don't have an abortion provider. Indeed, this bill is designed to shame women, as if we are daft creatures unable to make personal, private medical decisions without the paternalistic oversight of legislators.”

The Legislature passed the measure on Thursday. It now awaits the governor's signature.

State Rep. Sid Miller says the legislation is among the toughest sonogram requirements in the nation.

Comments

[stellaannfred]

11:47 AM on 06/14/2011

This is what the Texas Legislator does when it isn't telling our police to provide free immigration services to the Federal government. We already check immigration status after the arrest but now they have to ask before, whether arresting or not. The police chiefs asked this not be passed because it make their jobs much more difficult. But who are they? What do they know?

Again the 'fiscally conservative' find a way to piss away huge sums of money based on moral righteousness rather then economic costs based on statistical profiles. I guess if a college educated lawyer, which most of them are, can deny the science of global pollution then this is a no-brainer (pun intended).

[sanantoniarose]

08:05 PM on 05/27/2011

In Texas, you have no right to your own body. They will take blood...(constitutionally incorrect)

You, can't pee with out the government, asking, "what you are peeing"

I am disgusted with the intrustion of Governor Perry in my life.

Pretty Boy....You don't pay mt bills, nor do you walk in my shoes.

[sanantoniarose]

07:59 PM on 05/27/2011

I HATE living in Texas, or the United States of America right now...Government , Government...build more prisons....build them HIGH.

There are laws every September.....many laws...more laws...too many freaking laws...

[sanantoniarose]

07:54 PM on 05/27/2011

Power is intoxicating....We elected you, to preserve our rights,

Not for you to take over our lives.

Perry will not see another term in Texas.

[sanantoniarose]

07:46 PM on 05/27/2011

Just vote.....In Texas the Governor has taken over our rights. To have a abortion u must NOW have a sonogram.

This is not about rather abortion is right our wrong. This is about Government staying out of OUR lives...

Rick Perry.....we are done with your life intruding,...bull.

As a woman, this is between my family, church.

I don't need Government in my decision.

Mr Perry, Please, stay out of my life.

[dickmac]

10:22 AM on 05/20/2011

If the State isn't paying for the sonogram, then who is?

I thought that anything mandated by the State had to be funded by the State.

For instance, when the State requires a Catholic school to collect certain data about the student population and report that to the State, the State reimburses the Catholic school for those costs. I would think, although I don't know, that the same paradigm would apply to pre-abortion sonograms.

[WilliamAMiller]

01:36 PM on 05/20/2011

It is like many things governments require; it is an unfunded mandate. Require something be done, but make someone else pay for it. It is an interesting conundrum the Right Wing has in this case. They demand that something be done, but in a way that they even they would object to, if it was legislation on some other subject. I am not really sure if it is sacrifining one principle for another or just a matter of priorities.

[Str84Ward]

12:15 AM on 05/20/2011

Abortion. Really? Big word which most "jump in". Could it be possible MORE is to this? (Did Hitler leave anymore history we ignore ?) Open the door with the sonogram invading the privacy of a woman's body to include genetic "measurements" such as have been documented as to race, gender and such for "selective humans" to be forced birthed by wombs of women. The skull & bones gents have to attempt in regaining their kind, for global diversity is blowing the future of that Mason chapter. At LAX, a person does NOT have to walk through an x-ray check for it is an invasion of privacy. This,over rides travel safety and keeps lawsuits down.(I take the xray, it is much faster) Abortion is a big word in political platforms, just like gay, taxes, budget, education, oil, etc. Anyone able to think outside of the box able to see this is not about ABORTION at all.

[Tiredofthisdebate]

10:22 PM on 05/10/2011

1. The bill isn't that long (unlike Obamacare) and no where it states the sonogram will be tax payer funded.
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Search/DocViewer.aspx?K2DocKey=odbc%3a%2f%2fTLO%2fTLO.dbo.vwCurrBillDocs%2f82%2fR%2fS%2fB%2f00016%2f1%2fB%40TloCurrBillDocs&QueryText=SB+16&HighlightType=1
2. There is plenty of information mandated to be offered to the woman that are purely medical and legitimate - risks to her own health and fertility due to an an abortion and not carrying a pregnancy to term, AS WELL as the risks of carrying a pregnancy to term.
3. If you think ALL women are 'smart' enough and know their own bodies well enough to know when in their cycle they are the most likely to get pregnant in the first place as well as the details of fetal development like when there is a heartbeat or brain development, then I challenge you to take your next major life decision to a Planned Parenthood 'counselor'.

[Str84Ward]

12:28 AM on 05/20/2011

F & F !!! Sonograms in India, a HUGE CRIME - men wanting sons only have left a new generation without, wives. China's one child law, (now a one dog law) did the same. This is the population control in their countries planned for and they went for it. Planned parenthood needs to expand. (Who will place bets that all of our individiual lives were "planned" ?) LOL !! If you are over 30, try again. Over 50 ? LOL !!! How many of the same would admit they were on there knees thankful to them (PP) as they were able to not be teen parents way back when ?

[anthonybrown]

06:32 PM on 05/09/2011

The "93% of Texas counties that don't have an abortion provider?" I have been to Texas. I suspect most of those counties have more steers or armadillos than people. I wonder what percent of Texas counties don't have a heart surgeon either?

[anthonybrown]

06:10 PM on 05/09/2011

Sonograms reduce abortion. As I recall, that is part the "common ground" that prochoicers are seeking with antichoicers.

[see-ellen2001]

08:50 AM on 05/09/2011

When a woman is found to be pregnant at a certain age and above, she should be forced to watch (biased, erroneous) films on how horrible it is raising children with Downs syndrome. The medical diificultes the children have. After all, these women may want to make an uninformed decision and not terminate the pregnancy, wanting to continue the pregnancy and have the child. This is outrageously expensive, and governments and insurance companies will force these women to make an informed decision, dammit!

[capercaper]

02:31 PM on 05/09/2011

I have had and currently have friends raising Downs syndrome children.

Nothing horrible about it. Quite the contrary.

They are their CHILDREN and loved as such. And the children love back unconditionally.

[see-ellen2001]

07:47 PM on 05/10/2011

Capercaper: you are exactly right. I know parents raising children of all stripes, including those with Downs. My point was what if the government suddenly decided they wanted to lower 'certain types' of birthrates, they could force the issue in their favour by pressuring women.

[healthanalyst]

09:25 PM on 05/08/2011

How about medical necessity to save the life of the mother?

[nine-five-0-one]

11:58 PM on 05/08/2011

Not necessary. The lives of women are unimportant to Republicans---women are
disposable to them.

[Kristin Robbins]

03:20 PM on 05/24/2011

If you read the bill, it says that medical emergencies are the exception. Get all the facts before you condemn. This bill has both men and women in mind... the ones who have been treated as disposable, but are truly human beings in the womb.

[johnb123]

09:10 PM on 05/08/2011

They should make the father watch this video too, just to be fair.

[Michael Hallmark]

10:04 PM on 05/08/2011

you mean the rapist father? Oh right, i forgot. For some reason the legislature, in their quest to save "the children", have a discount program on those spawned by rapists and family members. Those aren't as valuable as the ones fathered by deadbeat boyfriends.

[BannedFromCommenting]

09:09 AM on 05/09/2011

You cannot get through to Kim Jong IL... He will always see what he is doing and saying as "good for the people".

[DTOM1776]

09:03 PM on 05/08/2011

Greetings

So please remind us...

Why we should support or approve of the killing of innocent human life simply because it is in the way?

[healthanalyst]

09:22 PM on 05/08/2011

Worked in Afghanistan and Iraq, what's your problem? What the hell you think we're doing in Libya, playing a video game?

[Michael Hallmark]

10:21 PM on 05/08/2011

who is asking you to do that?

[syrinx14]

08:18 PM on 05/08/2011

You represent the right.
"Ever use links to quantify your support?" Links take room & I figure you google. Guttmacher Institute would be great.
"(Please dont use Links back to HuffPo, you may be made fun of)" (Please don't use Links back to Fseudo, Daily Caller, Heritage Foundation, infowars or Rasmussen, you might be made fun of)

I really would like to waste time with you but you sound like the extreme side of my side of family, who insult & bullly. They deliberately misunderstand in order to not look too close at their argument. Either that or maybe there's just no way they can conceive of how others could think differently from them. I think they also think by insulting adults that this makes their argument look like truth. No. It makes them look childish & petty.

"From the right,
Im Kraki
PS Syrinx, as in Rush 2112, "Temple of Syrinx". Awesome album, had it on LP & 8 track:)"

From the Left and going Lefter,
PPS Kraki, Unfortunately, no. I'm old & had this moniker in RL before their album came out. I do like the classical guitar at the end, tho'. Love your moniker. I think of Steve Irwin.