Tomorrow, 4/25 at 8am, the House Human Services Committee is hearing SB 24, which would create a statutory framework for a statewide network of Anti-Abortion Clinics. Pregnant Texans desperately need access to actual resources and medical care, not harmful and biased counseling from non-medical, unregulated clinics. Here’s what SB 24 does and how you can help oppose it!
- SB 24 requires the Health and Human Services Commission to contract with Anti-Abortion Centers. Anti-Abortion Centers provide dangerous medical disinformation and misinformation and shame patients for their reproductive decisions. AACs are unlicensed and unregulated and provide almost no measurable support to patients.
- SB 24 specifically bars the use of funds for family planning services, such as birth control. In a time where Texans are not only at a high risk for pregnancy-related complications or death, but also surveillance and criminalization, Texans need access to actual medical care and resources, not coercive, biased, and inaccurate counseling from unlicensed providers.
- SB 24 requires HHSC to contract with providers who prioritize “marriage and family formation for participating parents.” This kind of counseling can be stigmatizing to single parents and harmful to patients who are survivors of abusive relationships. Texas should not be dictating how families are formed and should instead be providing families with actual care and resources.
HOW TO TAKE ACTION:
Contact the House Human Services Committee members via phone/e-mail and let them know that Texans need access to real health care and direct services. People in Austin can also stop by the capitol on Tuesday to drop a card – find out how at bit.ly/DropACard. More information, including talking points, can be found at bit.ly/opposeSB24. Contact info for legislators and a sample script is below!
Sample script: Hello, my name is ______, I am calling from (city in Texas) and my zip code is ______. I am calling to strongly oppose SB 24. This bill creates a statutory framework for the Alternatives to Abortion program and continues to fund a statewide network of anti-abortion centers. I believe that Texas should end this program. The legislature should stop putting taxpayer dollars towards biased programs and unregulated anti-abortion centers that coerce, manipulate, and lie to Texans. Those funds should be invested instead in programs that allow families to thrive, that respect Texan’s decisions about if and when to become a parent, and provide measurable, positive results for the state. [Share a personal story or experience. This could be a story about your own reproductive health or your experiences with anti-abortion centers. If you don’t have information to share, tell them what you think the 200 million budgeted for the A2A program could be used for instead.] I urge [electeds’ name] to oppose SB 24 and to work to end the Alternatives to Abortion program. Thank you for your time and consideration on this issue.”
Responses