Bill > HB585

This bill establishes a new legal framework in Texas protecting individuals' rights to access assistive reproductive technology (ART) treatments and procedures, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The bill defines ART as medical procedures involving human eggs or embryos for fertility purposes and explicitly prohibits state or local government entities from preventing or unreasonably limiting individuals from accessing these treatments. Specifically, the bill protects an individual's right to begin or continue ART treatments, retain rights to their reproductive genetic material, and ensures health care providers can perform these procedures and provide related information. The bill also prevents interference with health benefit plan coverage of ART treatments. If a governmental entity violates these protections, the attorney general, affected individuals, or healthcare providers can bring a civil action and seek injunctive relief, with the court mandated to award court costs and reasonable attorney's fees to the prevailing plaintiff. The legislation includes a provision that allows the executive commissioner to adopt rules implementing these protections and specifies that existing health and safety laws can still be enforced if they genuinely advance patient safety. The bill will take effect on September 1, 2025, and applies only to causes of action that accrue on or after that date.

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https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB585