{"data":{"id":"us-tx/tex.-health-and-safety-code-171.202","jurisdiction":"us-tx","citation":"Tex. Health and Safety Code § 171.202","heading":"LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.","body":"The legislature finds, according to contemporary medical research, that:\n(1) fetal heartbeat has become a key medical predictor that an unborn child will reach live birth;\n(2) cardiac activity begins at a biologically identifiable moment in time, normally when the fetal heart is formed in the gestational sac;\n(3) Texas has compelling interests from the outset of a woman's pregnancy in protecting the health of the woman and the life of the unborn child; and\n(4) to make an informed choice about whether to continue her pregnancy, the pregnant woman has a compelling interest in knowing the likelihood of her unborn child surviving to full-term birth based on the presence of cardiac activity.\nAdded by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 62 (S.B. 8), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2021.","path":["HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE","TITLE 2. HEALTH","SUBTITLE H. PUBLIC HEALTH PROVISIONS","CHAPTER 171. ABORTION","SUBCHAPTER H. DETECTION OF FETAL HEARTBEAT"],"source_url":"https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.171.htm#171.202","current_through":"89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T01:47:17Z","sha256":"4c02f77fb63bef8963d80752f520b8a78873bf0d8f03e324531fffe290666c3c","source_id":"us-tx","stale":false,"prev":"us-tx/tex.-health-and-safety-code-171.2011","next":"us-tx/tex.-health-and-safety-code-171.203"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}