Bill Text: TX HB3873 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-19 - Referred to Public Health [HB3873 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3873-Introduced.html
86R13695 SCL-F | ||
By: Bailes | H.B. No. 3873 |
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relating to the Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended by adding Chapter 50 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 50. ALTERNATIVES TO ABORTION PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 50.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Abortion" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
245.002. | ||
(2) "Program" means the Texas Alternatives to Abortion | ||
Program established under this chapter. | ||
Sec. 50.0002. ESTABLISHMENT. (a) The commission shall | ||
establish the Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program to enhance and | ||
increase resources that promote childbirth for women facing | ||
unplanned pregnancies. | ||
(b) The commission shall establish a statewide network of | ||
service providers, including pregnancy support centers, adoption | ||
assistance providers, and maternity homes, to provide the services | ||
described by Section 50.0003 under the program. The commission may | ||
contract with the service providers to provide the services in | ||
accordance with this chapter. | ||
Sec. 50.0003. SERVICES. (a) Using the statewide network of | ||
service providers established under Section 50.0002, the | ||
commission shall ensure that program services are available | ||
throughout this state. | ||
(b) Services provided under the program include: | ||
(1) counseling and mentoring; | ||
(2) care coordination for prenatal services, | ||
including connecting program participants to health programs; | ||
(3) educational materials and information about | ||
pregnancy and parenting; | ||
(4) referrals to governmental and social service | ||
programs, including child care, transportation, housing, and state | ||
and federal benefit programs; | ||
(5) classes on life skills, personal finance, | ||
parenthood, stress management, job training, job placement, and | ||
methods for obtaining high school equivalency certificates; | ||
(6) provision of supplies for infant care and | ||
pregnancy, including car seats, cribs, maternity clothes, infant | ||
diapers, and formula; and | ||
(7) support groups in maternity homes. | ||
(c) The commission or service providers may not provide | ||
family planning services under the program. | ||
Sec. 50.0004. ELIGIBILITY. The program is available to a | ||
resident of this state who is: | ||
(1) a pregnant woman; | ||
(2) the biological father of an unborn child; | ||
(3) the biological parent of a child who is 24 months | ||
of age or younger; | ||
(4) an adoptive parent of a child who is 24 months of | ||
age or younger; | ||
(5) a prospective adoptive parent of an unborn child; | ||
(6) a former program participant who has experienced | ||
the loss of a child; and | ||
(7) a parent or legal guardian of a pregnant minor who | ||
is a program client. | ||
Sec. 50.0005. PROVISION OF SERVICES. The commission and | ||
service providers shall provide services under the program based on | ||
the needs of the program participants. | ||
Sec. 50.0006. FUNDING. (a) The commission shall, to the | ||
greatest extent possible, seek federal, governmental, and private | ||
funding to supplement and match funding provided to the program. | ||
(b) The commission or a service provider may not: | ||
(1) use funding provided to the program to perform, | ||
induce, assist, or refer an abortion; or | ||
(2) grant program funds to an abortion provider or an | ||
affiliate of an abortion provider. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |