Texas Senate approves sonogram bill
The Texas Senate has given its final approval to a bill requiring doctors to perform a sonogram before performing an abortion.
The measure requires a doctor to perform the sonogram at least 24 hours in advance, unless the woman lives more than 100 miles away from the closest abortion clinic. It requires the doctor to give the woman the option to see the sonogram and hear the fetal heartbeat.
There are exemptions if the woman is a victim of rape or incest or if the fetus has fatal abnormalities.
Sen. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican, says he hopes the bill will reduce the number of abortions. Critics say the measure is designed to intimidate women.
The bill now goes back to the House, which has already passed its own version.
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“The Texas Senate has taken admirable action today by passing this significant sonogram legislation, and I want to thank Rep. Sid Miller and Sen. Dan Patrick for their work on this issue. 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.”
"I compliment Senator Dan Patrick and Representative Sid Miller as well as the members of the Senate and House who came together to pass this historic, life-protecting bill. The Sonogram Law will empower women, providing them with the critical information they need to make a truly informed decision."