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SB 2089: Complex bill still needs agreement
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) applauds Sen. Bryan Hughes’ wise acceptance of Sen. Eddie Lucio’s amendment to SB 2089. As Sen. Hughes said with this amendment, SB 2089 is now a better piece of legislation and will ensure appropriate care for Texans facing important end-of-life decisions. The improved engrossed SB 2089 now protects…
Read MoreHB 874: Don’t criminalize those who default on usurious loans
Testimony by Rachana Chhin The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops support HB 874. This bill prevents criminal changes or threats of criminal charges for payday or auto-title loan defaults. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that consumers who default on usurious loans are not faced with criminal charges. St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic…
Read MoreHB 190: Ensure payday and auto-title lenders verify ability to repay before issuing a loan
Testimony by Rachana Chhin Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops are in support of HB 190. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops have regularly advocated for payday lending reform in the last few sessions. This is rooted in both scripture’s exhortation not to lend at usurious interest and Catholic Social Teaching’s preferential option for the poor…
Read MoreHB 2266: Repeal “anti-sanctuary cities” legislation
Testimony by Rachana Chhin The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops support HB 2266, which would repeal SB 4, passed in 2017, which was an “anti-sanctuary cities” law that required compliance with ICE detainers, preempted local law enforcement policies, and seeks to remove police chiefs who do not cooperate. We support HB 2266 to end the…
Read MoreSB 2355: Support reform of hospital ethics committees
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon The TCCB would like to thank Senator Lucio for filing this bill to require hospitals to adopt and implement policies to prevent financial conflicts of interest and discrimination based on disability. While we support the basic structure of the Texas Advance Directives Act, over the last several years the bishops…
Read MoreSB 2129: Oppose unilateral authority of patients
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon The Texas Catholic Bishops have worked on advance directives reform in Texas for decades, supporting legislation that respects autonomy and human dignity, both for patients and providers. All human life, no matter how disabled or critically ill, is of quality and incomparable worth and no one is less entitled to…
Read MoreSB 2089: Oppose indefinite medical interventions
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon The Catholic voice behind the pro-life movement does not view death as the ultimate enemy. We view it through a lens of the inherent sanctity of human life, including life in its final stages, life that is in fact dying. We must oppose the approach taken by this bill. Requiring…
Read MoreHB 4199: Powerful message of profound respect for life
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon This bill is short and simple, but presents a powerful message of profound respect for unborn life, the lives of persons living with disabilities, and the noble desire of doctors to do no harm to their patients. H.B. 4199 prohibits wrongful birth lawsuits that claim a child should have been…
Read MoreHB 773: No aqua cremation of human remains
Testimony provided by Jennifer Carr Allmon We oppose this bill because it allows for the aqua cremation of human remains using alkaline hydrolysis. The dehydration of human remains in a vat of chemicals is disrespectful of the human body and does not allow for burial of the body. Treating the dead with respect is a…
Read MoreHB 3899: Don’t override local zoning ordinances
Testimony provided by Jennifer Allmon On its surface, this bill violates the Catholic principal of subsidiarity, which notes that governmental decisions are best made by those closest to those impacted by the decisions. In political terms, this might be translated as legislation through consent of the governed. We recognize it is legitimate to protect the…
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