Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill today that bans taxpayer funding of abortions via the insurance industry.
Abbott signed House Bill 214 (HB 214) that will protect Texans from paying for the abortions of others through their tax dollars and health insurance premiums. The bill limits insurance coverage for abortion procedures. Under this new law Texans will not be forced to pay for elective abortions through their insurance plans. This legislation is an important piece of the Governor’s pro-life agenda that has been championed by Sen. Brandon Creighton and Rep. John Smithee this special session.
“As a firm believer in Texas values I am proud to sign legislation that ensures no Texan is ever required to pay for a procedure that ends the life of an unborn child,” said Governor Abbott in a statement to LifeNews. “This bill prohibits insurance providers from forcing Texas policy holders to subsidize elective abortions. I am grateful to the Texas legislature for getting this bill to my desk, and working to protect innocent life this special session.”
New law signed to ensure no Texan is required to pay for a procedure that ends the life of an unborn child. https://t.co/LYfE9jFm1o pic.twitter.com/bYTWunoglO
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) August 15, 2017
In the 2015 Legislative Session, Senator Taylor authored a similar insurance reform, SB 575, which passed in the Senate and died in the House. This session, Pro-Life Health Insurance Reform once again seeks to protect Texans who do not want to subsidize abortions through public, private, and state insurance plans. The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a provision for states to opt out of default abortion coverage, and 25 states have already done so.
SB 20 would ensure that ACA-subsidized plans, state employee plans, or private basic health insurance plans do not include coverage for elective abortions. Texans deserve the right to decide where their insurance and tax dollars go, and they should not be forced to fund the elective abortions of others. The majority of Texans are Pro-Life and neither want nor need insurance coverage for elective abortion.
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If any Texans do want this coverage, SB 20 would allow individuals to purchase coverage for elective abortions in separate, supplemental plans. This legislation would protect the freedom of all Texans to abide by their consciences.
