Texas Ambulatory Surgical Center Bill (SB 537)

SB 537 would have required abortion care facilities to comply with the minimum standards for an ambulatory surgical center by September 1, 2014.

According to NARAL Texas, this bill essentially would have forced abortion clinics to become “mini-hospitals” in order to keep their doors open, a requirement which would have been prohibitively expensive and medically unnecessary, and which would have singled out abortion clinics for no legitimate medical purpose. If passed, this bill would have left only five abortion clinics open in the state.

STATUS

This bill did not pass during the regular legislative session, but its provisions are included in Texas’ omnibus abortion bill (HB 2), which Gov. Rick Perry signed into law on July 18, 2013 during the second special legislative session. 

People