Law in effect since Sept. 1; abortions in Texas fell by more than half in
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Matt Hadro
[email protected]
March 1, 2022, AUSTIN, Texas — Human Coalition Action on Tuesday celebrated the six month anniversary of the Texas Heartbeat Act taking effect. The first successful six-week abortion ban since Roe v. Wade was issued 50 years ago, the law prohibits abortions in the state after detection of a preborn child’s heartbeat – typically between five to eight weeks into pregnancy. It is enforced through private civil lawsuits.
The law has been rescuing preborn lives for six months now. Data from the state health department, released in February, showed that the number of abortions in Texas fell by more than half in the first month the law took effect, September 2021.
“Preborn children are rescued and saved every day because of this legislation,” said Rev. Dean Nelson, Executive Director of Human Coalition Action. “Not only are we rescuing children, but also we are serving women. The state of Texas has appropriated $100 million to this end, helping empower women to choose life and making abortion unthinkable and unnecessary.”
Human Coalition Action continues to advocate for preborn children and women facing unexpected pregnancies. The state of Texas created a safety net, the Alternatives to Abortion (“A2A”) program, for these cases. The program, which began in 2006, provides support services to pregnant women and adoptive parents. In 2021, the Texas Legislature expanded the program to receive $100 million over two years and extended Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum mothers to six months.
“Texas, in the last six months, has proven that it is ready to be an abortion-free state,” said Chelsey Youman, Texas State Director and National Legislative Advisor at Human Coalition Action. “The Alternatives to Abortion program is helping women facing unexpected pregancncies find jobs, secure safe housing, and get on their feet.”
“Every child in the womb that has been saved has gifts, talents and a future, just as everyone else,” Youman said. “The Texas Heartbeat Act takes incredible strides towards protecting those preborn children and humanizing the child in the womb who has a beating heart.”
About Human Coalition Action
Human Coalition Action is a public policy advocacy organization, advocating for preborn children by assisting governing officials in advancing pro-life policies, informing voters about pro-life candidates, and supporting pro-life legal arguments in the Courts
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