Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that requires physicians to conduct a sonogram prior to performing an abortion.

Highlights:

• Requires a doctor to perform a sonogram on a woman seeking an abortion at least 24 hours prior to performing the abortion, unless the woman lives 100 or more miles from the closest abortion provider in which case the sonogram must be performed at least 2 hours prior to the abortion (Sec. 2).

• Requires that the physician performing the abortion do the following (Sec. 2):
• Display the sonogram images to the pregnant woman;
• Provide a verbal explanation of the sonogram images, including descriptions of the fetus, its heart activity, and its internal organs; and
• Provide the heart auscultation of the fetus for the pregnant woman to hear as well as a verbal explanation of it.

• Authorizes a woman to choose not to view the sonogram images or listen to the heart auscultation (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a woman to choose not to receive the verbal explanation of the sonogram if the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or incest, if the woman is a minor, or if the fetus has an "irreversible medical condition or abnormality" (Sec. 3).

• Exempts abortion procedures from these provisions in the case of a medical emergency (Sec. 3).

• Rep. Thomas R. "Tom" Craddick is not listed on our vote breakdown because he was temporarily out of the House chamber at the time of the roll call; he would have voted "Yea".

• Rep. Drew Darby is not listed on our vote breakdown because he was temporarily out of the House chamber at the time of the roll call; he would have voted "Yea".

• Rep. Rene O. Oliveira is not listed on our vote breakdown because he was temporarily out of the House chamber at the time of the roll call; he would have voted "Yea".

• Rep. Tan Parker is not listed on our vote breakdown because he was temporarily out of the House chamber at the time of the roll call; he would have voted "Yea".

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires physicians to conduct a sonogram prior to performing an abortion.

Highlights:

• Requires a doctor to perform a sonogram on a woman seeking an abortion at least 24 hours prior to performing the abortion, unless the woman lives 100 or more miles from the closest abortion provider in which case the sonogram must be performed at least 2 hours prior to the abortion (Sec. 2). 

• Requires that the physician performing the abortion do the following (Sec. 2):
• Display the sonogram images to the pregnant woman; 
• Provide a verbal explanation of the sonogram images, including descriptions of the fetus, its heart activity, and its internal organs; and 
• Provide the heart auscultation of the fetus for the pregnant woman to hear as well as a verbal explanation of it.

• Authorizes a woman to choose not to view the sonogram images or listen to the heart auscultation (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes a woman to choose not to receive the verbal explanation of the sonogram if the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or incest, if the woman is a minor, or if the fetus has an "irreversible medical condition or abnormality" (Sec. 3). 

• Exempts abortion procedures from these provisions in the case of a medical emergency (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires physicians to conduct a sonogram prior to performing an abortion.

Highlights:

• Requires physicians to perform the following at least 24 hours, but not more than 72 hours, prior to an abortion (Sec. 1):
• An oral consultation with the pregnant woman, during which the physician shall provide her with the following information:
• Information about abortions furnished by the Department of State Health Services; A description of the fetus;
• A list of agencies that offer alternatives to abortion; and
• A comprehensive list of health care providers, facilities, and clinics that offer obstetric sonogram services at no cost to the pregnant woman and that also do not:
• Perform abortions or provide abortion-related services;
• Make referrals to any abortion provider; or
• Affiliate or contract with any entity that performs abortions, provides abortion-related services, or makes referrals to any abortion provider.

• Requires the physician or sonographer performing the abortion to do the following before an abortion begins and before any sedative or anesthesia is administered to the pregnant woman (Sec. 1):
• Perform a live, real-time obstetric sonogram; 
• Display the results of the sonogram to the pregnant woman; 
• Provide, in a manner understandable to a layperson, a simultaneous verbal explanation of the results of sonogram, including a medical description of the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, the presence of cardiac activity, and the presence of arms, legs, external members, and internal organs; 
• Make audible the live, real-time heart auscultation, when present, for the pregnant woman to hear; and 
• Provide, in a manner understandable to a layperson, a simultaneous verbal explanation of the live, real-time heart auscultation.

• Requires the woman upon whom the abortion is to be performed to sign a document saying that she was provided with a live, real-time obstetric sonogram at least 24 hours but not more than 72 hours prior to the abortion (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that neither the physician nor the pregnant woman is subject to a penalty under this act solely because the pregnant woman chose not to receive the required information (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes a physician to perform an abortion without performing a sonogram in the case of a medical emergency (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that a physician who performs an abortion in violation of this act engages in unprofessional conduct, and that the physician's license shall be revoked (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that this act is effective immediately if it receives a vote of 2/3 of the members of each house, or by September 1, 2011 (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text