TITLE: Relating to abortion reporting and exemptions to abortion facility licensing.

SUMMARY: Relating to abortion reporting and exemptions to abortion facility licensing.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to abortion reporting and exemptions to abortion facility licensing. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, as amended by Chapters 198 (H.B. 2292) and 999 (H.B. 15), Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, is reenacted and amended to read as follows: Sec. 245.004. EXEMPTIONS FROM LICENSING REQUIREMENT. (a) The following facilities need not be licensed under this chapter: (1) a hospital licensed under Chapter 241 (Texas Hospital Licensing Law); [or] (2) the office of a physician licensed under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code, unless the office is used substantially for the purpose of performing [more than 50] abortions; or (3) an ambulatory surgical center licensed under Chapter 243. (b) For purposes of this section, a facility is used substantially for the purpose of performing abortions if the facility: (1) is a provider for performing: (A) at least five [10] abortion procedures during any month; or (B) at least 50 [100] abortion procedures in a 12-month period [year];(2) operates less than 20 days in a month and the facility, in any month, is a provider for performing a number of abortion procedures that would be equivalent to at least five [10] procedures in a month if the facility were operating at least 20 days in a month; (3) holds itself out to the public as an abortion provider by advertising by any public means, including advertising placed in a newspaper, telephone directory, magazine, or electronic medium, that the facility performs abortions; or (4) applies for an abortion facility license. (b-1) In computing the number of abortions performed for purposes of Subsections (b)(1) and (2), an abortion performed in accordance with Section 245.016 is not included. (c) For purposes of this section, an abortion facility is operating if the facility is open for any period of time during a day and has on site at the facility or on call a physician available to perform abortions. SECTION 2. Section 245.011(c), Health and Safety Code, as effective September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows: (c) The report must include: (1) whether the abortion facility at which the abortion is performed is licensed under this chapter; (2) the patient's year of birth, race, marital status, and state and county of residence; (3) the type of abortion procedure performed;(4) the date the abortion was performed; (5) whether the patient survived the abortion, and if the patient did not survive, the cause of death; (6) the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child based on the best medical judgment of the attending physician at the time of the procedure; (7) the date, if known, of the patient's last menstrual cycle; (8) the number of previous live births of the patient; (9) the number of previous induced abortions of the patient; (10) whether the abortion was performed or induced because of a medical emergency and any medical condition of the pregnant woman that required the abortion; [and] (11) the county in which the abortion was performed; and (12) the information required under Sections 171.008(a) and (c). SECTION 3. Section 245.002, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows: (3) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services Commission. SECTION 4. Section 245.0116, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 245.0116. COMMISSION [DEPARTMENT] REPORT. (a) The commission [department] shall publish on its Internet website a monthly report containing aggregate data of the information in the reports submitted under Section 245.011. The report must specify the number of abortions performed in each county during the reporting period. (b) The commission's [department's] monthly report may not identify by any means an abortion facility, a physician performing the abortion, or a patient. SECTION 5. Section 164.052(a), Occupations Code, as effective September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows: (a) A physician or an applicant for a license to practice medicine commits a prohibited practice if that person: (1) submits to the board a false or misleading statement, document, or certificate in an application for a license; (2) presents to the board a license, certificate, or diploma that was illegally or fraudulently obtained; (3) commits fraud or deception in taking or passing an examination; (4) uses alcohol or drugs in an intemperate manner that, in the board's opinion, could endanger a patient's life; (5) commits unprofessional or dishonorable conduct that is likely to deceive or defraud the public, as provided by Section 164.053, or injure the public; (6) uses an advertising statement that is false, misleading, or deceptive; (7) advertises professional superiority or the performance of professional service in a superior manner if that advertising is not readily subject to verification; (8) purchases, sells, barters, or uses, or offers to purchase, sell, barter, or use, a medical degree, license, certificate, or diploma, or a transcript of a license, certificate, or diploma in or incident to an application to the board for a license to practice medicine; (9) alters, with fraudulent intent, a medical license, certificate, or diploma, or a transcript of a medical license, certificate, or diploma; (10) uses a medical license, certificate, or diploma, or a transcript of a medical license, certificate, or diploma that has been: (A) fraudulently purchased or issued; (B) counterfeited; or (C) materially altered; (11) impersonates or acts as proxy for another person in an examination required by this subtitle for a medical license; (12) engages in conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert an examination process required by this subtitle for a medical license; (13) impersonates a physician or permits another to use the person's license or certificate to practice medicine in this state; (14) directly or indirectly employs a person whose license to practice medicine has been suspended, canceled, or revoked; (15) associates in the practice of medicine with a person: (A) whose license to practice medicine has been suspended, canceled, or revoked; or (B) who has been convicted of the unlawful practice of medicine in this state or elsewhere; (16) performs or procures a criminal abortion, aids or abets in the procuring of a criminal abortion, attempts to perform or procure a criminal abortion, or attempts to aid or abet the performance or procurement of a criminal abortion; (17) directly or indirectly aids or abets the practice of medicine by a person, partnership, association, or corporation that is not licensed to practice medicine by the board; (18) performs an abortion on a woman who is pregnant with a viable unborn child during the third trimester of the pregnancy unless: (A) the abortion is necessary to prevent the death of the woman; (B) the viable unborn child has a severe, irreversible brain impairment; or (C) the woman is diagnosed with a significant likelihood of suffering imminent severe, irreversible brain damage or imminent severe, irreversible paralysis; (19) performs an abortion on an unemancipated minor without the written consent of the child's parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian or without a court order, as provided by Section 33.003 or 33.004, Family Code, unless the abortion is necessary due to a medical emergency, as defined by Section 171.002, Health and Safety Code; (20) otherwise performs an abortion on an unemancipated minor in violation of Chapter 33, Family Code; (21) performs or induces or attempts to perform or induce an abortion in violation of Subchapter C, F, or G, Chapter 171, Health and Safety Code; (22) in complying with the procedures outlined in Sections 166.045 and 166.046, Health and Safety Code, wilfully fails to make a reasonable effort to transfer a patient to a physician who is willing to comply with a directive; [or] (23) performs or delegates to another individual the performance of a pelvic examination on an anesthetized or unconscious patient in violation of Section 167A.002, Health and Safety Code;or (24) fails to submit a report required by Section 245.011, Health and Safety Code.SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to an abortion performed on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 7. This Act takes effect January 1, 2022.