Texas Bill Prohibiting State Contracts With Abortion Providers (HB 3544)

HB 3544 would prohibit a state agency from contracting with vendors that perform elective abortions, embryonic stem cell research, or conduct research on human fetal tissue.

Specifically, the state would be prohibited from accepting a bid from or awarding a contract, including a contract for which purchasing authority is delegated to a state agency, to a vendor that:

• performs or promotes elective abortions or is an affiliate of an entity or individual that performs or promotes elective abortions;
• contracts with an entity or individual that performs or promotes elective abortions;
• intentionally or knowingly:
  • performs or attempts to perform destructive embryonic stem cell research or human cloning;
  • participates in an attempt to perform destructive embryonic stem cell research or human cloning;
  • transfers or receives a human embryo for destructive embryonic stem cell research or a human embryo produced by human cloning; or
  • transfers or receives, wholly or partly, any human egg cell, human sperm cell, human embryo, or somatic cell for human cloning; or
• transfers, receives, or conducts scientific research on donated human fetal tissue, cells, or organs.

The law would not provide for a cause of action to contest a bid or award of a state contract.

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