AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas House has approved a bill removing ectopic pregnancy surgery from the state definition of abortion.
Ectopic pregnancies occur when an egg is fertilized but attaches itself somewhere other than a woman’s uterus. Such cases require tissue removal via surgery.
Corsicana Republican Rep. Byron Cook’s measure was approved 95-44 on Thursday. It differentiates between that procedure and abortions.
It’s backed by many anti-abortion groups, which see such surgeries as medical procedures to help the mother rather than terminating pregnancies.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court declared unconstitutional much of Texas’ 2013 law that was among the nation’s toughest and forced around 20 clinics to close statewide.
Conservatives vowed to hit back with high-profile anti-abortion bills, but many remain slow-moving as the May 29 end of Texas’ legislative session looms.
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