Response to Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Proposed Human Remains Disposition Rules
Contact: Leah Brown, Texas Alliance for Life, 512-477-1244, leah@texasallianceforlife.org
AUSTIN, Texas, July 8, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Last Friday the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) published proposed rules regarding the humane disposition of the bodies of unborn children after elective abortions. The rules are open for public comment, and they could be adopted as early as July 31. The rules would no longer allow abortion providers to dispose of the remains of aborted babies by "grinding and discharging into a sanitary sewer system," which current rules permit.
In response, Texas Alliance for Life issues the following statement attributed to Joe Pojman, Ph.D., executive director of Texas Alliance for Life:
We strongly support the proposed rules, which are consistent with pro-life Governor Greg Abbott's LIFE Initiative. While the Supreme Court tragically does not allow states to ban most abortions, we believe that Texas law should be changed to assure that the bodies of the victims of abortion are not treated like medical waste. These proposed rules validate the dignity of those unborn babies whose lives are unfortunately lost to abortion.
We applaud Governor Greg Abbott and pro-life leaders in the State Senate and House for making the sanctity and dignity of human life a priority for the State of Texas. Both the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, chaired by Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), and the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Representative Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) have conducted hearings addressing the harvesting, sale, and research on tissues and organs after an elective abortion in preparation for the next legislative session beginning in January 2017. We hope to see these rules codified in statue at that time.
Texas Alliance for Life encourages concerned members of the public to write the HHSC in support of the new rules. Comments may be submitted by July 30 by emailing allison.hughes@dshs.state.tx.us and specifying "comments on special waste from health care facilities" in the subject line.
Texas Alliance for Life (TAL) is a non-sectarian, non-partisan, pro-life organization of people committed to protecting innocent human lives from conception through natural death through peaceful, legal means. TAL is a statewide organization based in the Texas capital.
8000 Centre Park Dr Ste 380, Austin TX 78754 * www.TexasAllianceforLife.org * 512.477.1244
