13.  Representative Villarreal (D-San Antonio) offered Amendment 16 to Amendment 11 exempting minors who are already parents from the parental consent requirement.  The amendment was tabled by a record vote of 106-32 on May 16, 2005.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against tabling the amendment.

14.  Representative Alonzo (D-Dallas) offered Amendment 8 to CSSB 419 expanding the type of identification parents must show a doctor when consenting to a minor’s abortion to include identity documents issued by another country.  The amendment was tabled by a record vote of 77-59 on May 17, 2005.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against tabling the amendment.

15. Requiring Physicians to Lie to Women. HB 1469 amends the Health and Safety Code to require physicians to disseminate state-produced brochures (ironically called “Women’s Right to Know” materials) containing medically inaccurate information about a mythical link between abortion and breast cancer, and other misleading information about abortion, to their patients.  The bill was reported favorably without amendments out of the House State Affairs Committee on April 21, 2005 by a vote of 6-2 with 1 member absent.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against the bill.

16. Jeopardizing the Privacy of Women’s Medical Records. HB 702 passed the House State Affairs Committee by a vote of 5-3, with one member absent, on April 21, 2005.  HB 702 requires any physician who believes a patient has experienced “complications” as a result of an abortion or attempted abortion to file a report with the Department of State Health Services.  This report would contain sensitive personal information about the woman, and could be provided to state licensing boards and “appropriate federal agencies.”  Failing to file the report in a timely manner would subject the physician to fines or up to a year in jail. A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against this bill.

17. Creating Deterrents for Physicians Who Provide Abortions.  HB 811 passed the House State Affairs Committee by a vote of 6-2, with one member absent, on April 21, 2005.  HB 811 requires private physicians who perform less than 50 abortion procedures per year to fulfill the same regulation requirements as licensed abortion providers, who provide 50 or more abortions per year, and to comply with Texas’ 24-hour waiting period and “misinformed” consent law.  The Department of State Health Services would be authorized to conduct inspections of private physician's office for compliance.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against this bill.

18. Politicizing Judicial Rulings and Creating Deterrents for Physicians Who Provide Abortions.  The committee substitute for HB 2997 passed the House Public Health Committee by a vote of 6-1 on April 27, 2005.  HB 2997 requires reporting on how judges rule in judicial bypass cases for teenagers seeking an abortion.  It also requires physicians to complete additional abortion reporting and abortion complication reports.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) is a vote against this bill.

+ Special note about Texas House Vote on Parental Consent for Minors Seeking Abortion.  The House Committee on State Affairs reported SB 1150, requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortion, favorably without amendments on May 19, 2005, by a vote of 5-1 with 3 members absent.  SB 1150 did not include any of the increased courtroom hurdles as contained in HB 1212.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against the bill.  NARAL Pro-Choice Texas is extremely grateful to Representative Farrar who voted against this bill in the State Affairs Committee.   Her pro-choice vote against this bill is marked as a “+”; however, it is not included in the overall 2005 Texas House voting record ratings.

++ Special note about Texas House Votes on Reauthorization of the Board of Medical Examiners with Anti-Choice Amendments.  CSSB 419, reauthorized the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, and included two anti-choice amendments.  The first bans third trimester abortions when the fetus is viable, unless the abortion is necessary to prevent the woman’s death, the fetus has a severe irreversible brain impairment, or to prevent the woman from suffering imminent, severe, and irreversible brain damage or paralysis (perfectly clear, right?).  The second amendment requires minors to obtain parental consent for an abortion (instead of the existing requirement that they notify a parent).  SB 419 passed the House on a record vote of 121-12, on May 17, 2005.  A pro-choice vote (“P”) was a vote against the bill.  NARAL Pro-Choice Texas is extremely grateful to the Representatives who voted against this bill.   Their pro-choice votes against this bill are marked as a “++”, however this vote is not included in the overall 2005 Texas House voting record ratings because of the many provisions of CSSB 419 that were unrelated to reproductive healthcare issues.