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Senate committee advances House Bill 1439 to ban pregnancy terminations for fetuses diagnosed with Down syndrome
Summary
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee adopted amendments and voted to pass House Bill 1439, which bars abortions performed based on a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and narrows the bill's language from "genetic selection" to "Down syndrome." Supporters framed the bill as protecting people with disabilities; Planned Parenthood testified in opposition, citing constitutional and health concerns.
House Bill 1439 moved forward in the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on a voice vote after adoption of an agreed amendment intended to mirror exceptions in prior measures and to substitute the term "Down syndrome" for the broader phrase "genetic selection." Senator Missy Irvin presided; the sponsor, Senator Trent Garner, introduced the measure and explained the amendment before the committee adopted it by voice vote.
The bill prohibits abortions performed because a prenatal test indicates the…
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