Texas Senate OKs ban on abortion coverage in health insurance



Take a look at some of the most prominent anti-abortion bills filed for the 84th Legislative Session less Abortion legislation in Texas received nationwide attention after Wendy Davis' filibuster in 2013. Davis is no longer in the Texas Legislature, but they'll be many anti-abortion bills around for the upcoming session. Abortion legislation in Texas received nationwide attention after Wendy Davis' filibuster in 2013. Davis is no longer in the Texas Legislature, but they'll be many anti-abortion bills around for the upcoming ... more Photo: Alberto Martínez, AP Photo: Alberto Martínez, AP Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Texas Senate OKs ban on abortion coverage in health insurance 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN -- The state Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would put Texas among several states that prohibit health insurance plans from covering abortions, the first major measure related to the procedure to make it out of either chamber this session.

The vote was 21-10, with one anti-abortion Democrat joining with majority Republicans to pass Senate Bill 575.

The proposal will now go to the state House, where a committee has already passed a similar measure that would ban abortion coverage from insurance plans purchased through the exchange set up by President Barack Obama's health care law.

"This really is a choice bill," said sponsoring Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a contentious floor debate. "People who are opposed to abortion do not like having to pay for it for others."

During the debate, Taylor faced a barrage of questions from Democrats about the lack of exceptions to the bill.

Sen. Kirk Watson, in particular, brought up examples in which a woman was raped, found out her fetus had a severe abnormality or was in danger after developing cancer. In each case, the Austin Democrat established, the woman would be on her own to pay for an abortion.

Senate Bill 575 includes an exemption for a "medical emergency," but under state law that is a relatively high bar.

Noting that not all insurance plans in Texas now cover abortion anyway, Taylor downplayed Watson's hypotheticals.

"You're coming up with some very extreme examples and scenarios," Taylor said.

"Well," Watson shot back, "a person (in one of those situations) might consider our actions to be extreme if we make their very difficult situation worse."

Taylor said he had misspoke by saying "extreme." He meant "rare," he said.