Bill > HB2197

This bill seeks to expand legal protections for unborn children in Texas from the moment of fertilization by modifying several aspects of state law. The bill changes the legal definition of "individual" to include an unborn child at every stage of development from fertilization until birth, and extends criminal and civil laws to apply equally to offenses committed against unborn children as those committed against born individuals. Specifically, the bill amends sections of the Penal Code and Civil Practice and Remedies Code to ensure that criminal and civil statutes treat harm to an unborn child similarly to harm to a born person, with key exceptions for unintentional injuries resulting from lifesaving medical procedures for the mother or spontaneous miscarriages. The bill explicitly states its purposes as following constitutional equal protection principles, protecting the lives of preborn children, repealing laws that could be interpreted as allowing pressure to obtain an abortion, and securing the right to life for all preborn children from fertilization. The changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will only apply to offenses and causes of action occurring on or after that date, with previous laws remaining in effect for earlier incidents.

Justice

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB2197