Family Planning in Texas in Relation to a Women’s Right to Abortion and State Spending

Texas Policy Report Proposal

Jane Smith

GOVT-2306-23401 Spring 2018

Dr. Mark Skorick

Word Count (272)

The assault on attainable family planning services is evident across the state of Texas. A woman’s right to have an abortion was deemed constitutional under federal law with Roe v. Wade in 1973. The case Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992 allowed states to put some regulations on abortion (Phelps 438). Texas has been one of the states that have placed strict regulations on abortion which have resulted in the closure of clinics performing safe abortions and otherwise making it difficult for women to have the procedure (Baum et al. 2). The policy paper will focus on the adoption of new abortion restrictions, known as targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws, which were presented first in 2011 under Texas House Bill 2 (HB2). These regulations have complicated and restricted access to adequate reproductive healthcare and have resulted in an increased burden on low income families as well as a woman’s right to choose a qualified healthcare provider (Baum et al. 4). The policies that have been enacted by the state legislature have denied funding or significantly reduced the amount of money allocated to family planning. The loss of federal financial support in relation to the Texas Women’s Health Program is now wholly consumed by the state (Pathroff 215). This program is inadequate to meet the needs of the state’s women. The safety net offered by family planning services is essential to the state’s population. In order to remedy the repercussions of these legislative and policy actions, this paper will examine the effects these requirements have had in Texas and discuss the inadequacies associated with current procedures created by the state legislature.

References

Baum, Sarah E., et al. “Women’s Experience Obtaining Abortion Care in Texas After Implementation of Restrictive Abortion Laws: A Qualitative Study.” Plos ONE, vol. 11, no. 10, 26 Oct. 2016, pp. 1-14. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165048.

Hopkins, Kristine, et al. “Women’s Experiences Seeking Publicly Funded Family Planning Services in Texas.” Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, vol. 47, no. 2, June 2015, pp. 63-70. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1363/47e2815.

Pathroff, Dennis. “Abortion and Birth Control-United States Supreme Court Declares Texas’ Restrictions on Abortion Facilities Unconstitutional: Impact on States with Similar Abortion Restrictions.” North Dakota Law Review, vol. 92, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 213-231. EBSCOhost, dcccd.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=120972426&site=ehost-live.