LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT STATEMENT

87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
March 14, 2021

TO:
Honorable Bryan Hughes, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
 
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1647 by Perry (Relating to information regarding perinatal palliative care, regulation of abortion, and the availability of certain defenses to prosecution for homicide and assault offenses; providing an administrative penalty; creating criminal offenses.), As Introduced

The provisions of the bill addressed by this analysis would amend various codes to create the offense of discriminatory abortion and expand to five years the period of time during which felony indictments for certain abortion related offenses may be presented.  Under the provisions of the bill, performing or inducing an abortion, or using force to coerce the performance or induction of an abortion, on a pregnant woman based on the race, ethnicity, sex, or disability of the woman's preborn child would be punishable as a class A misdemeanor.


A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of not more than $4,000, confinement in a county jail for a term not to exceed one year, or both. 

This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources.


Source Agencies:
LBB Staff:
JMc, SMat, LM, DGi