Texas House approves more abortion reporting requirements
by Morgan Smith, Texas Tribune
Doctors performing abortions on minors would be required to report additional information to the state under a new measure given early approval by the Texas House Thursday.
State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston, said expanding the state’s existing reporting requirements for abortions performed on minors was "essentially a public health issue."
Under Murphy's House Bill 215, doctors would have to document how the minor obtained authorization to get an abortion. If she got a judicial bypass, the report to the state would include whether the doctor or another advocate helped her through the process, and how. If she obtained parental consent, the doctor must report where that happened. And if a doctor performs an emergency abortion on a minor, the report must include whether there was time to obtain parental consent. The bill, which passed on a 92 to 48 vote, would also require doctors who perform third-trimester abortions because of fetal abnormalities to report the identified abnormality to the state.
"What we are trying to do is provide better information, more comprehensive information about when this occurs," Murphy said. "Nothing changes for the patient undergoing the procedure."
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/03/house-abortion-reporting-requirements-minors/
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