Texas Lawmakers Advance Bill Clarifying Medical Exceptions Under Abortion Ban

Texas lawmakers are advancing a bill to clarify medical exceptions under the state's near-total abortion ban, which took effect in 2022 and allows abortion only to save the life of the mother. The legislation, supported by both Republicans and Democrats for the first time since the ban's enactment, specifies that doctors cannot face criminal charges for abortions performed in medical emergencies causing major bodily impairment and defines "life-threatening" conditions as those capable of causing death. However, the bill does not expand access or include exceptions for cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies, or list specific medical conditions. This marks a significant shift for Texas Republicans who had previously defended the ban without exception clarifications, though some abortion-rights advocates question the bill's practical impact. Dr. Austin Dennard, who traveled out of state for an abortion due to a fatal fetal diagnosis and later testified about the ban's health risks, expressed mixed feelings about the bill, noting widespread understanding among physicians that abortions are illegal under current law. The bill also includes provisions to require training for doctors to better understand when abortion interventions are legally permissible, aiming to address confusion among medical providers.