SUPPORT HB 3162: Texas Advance Directives Act Reform

Download this content This bill was developed after months of extensive negotiation. HB 3162 represents a substantially improved cooperative effort to comprehensively address this sensitive issue. Thank you, Chair Stephanie Klick, Sen. Drew Springer, Rep. James Frank and to the following stakeholder organizations who are supporting this bill: Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Texans for…

Read More

Support SB 1646 (Perry) | HB 4014 (Hefner)

The bishops seek to promote strong, stable, and healthy families, and oppose direct threats to innocent life, from conception to natural death. Our opposition to hormonal therapies and surgeries that aim at cross-sex transitioning or gender reassignment comes from this concern for the health of children and their families. For these reasons we support SB…

Read More

Reform of Texas Advance Directives Act HB 3099 (Coleman) | SB 1944 (Lucio)

All human life, no matter how disabled or critically ill, is of inherent dignity and incomparable worth; all are entitled to adequate healthcare. A balanced approach to end-of-life care equally respects the rights of patients in the natural process of dying and the conscience of healthcare professionals providing their care. The Texas Advance Directives Act…

Read More

Reform the Texas Advance Directives Act: Support SB 1944

My name is Bishop Michael Olson and I am testifying on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in support of SB 1944. The Texas Advance Directives Act dispute resolution process protects patients and physicians by providing a fair and reasonable process to resolve disagreements regarding end of life care decisions. While this law…

Read More

Oppose SB 917: No Unlimited Intervention

My name is Bishop Michael Olson and I am testifying on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in opposition to SB 917. 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…

Read More

Family Educational Relief Program SB 1968 (Bettencourt) | HB 4537 (Middleton)

The establishment of the Family Educational Relief Program, and an insurance premium tax credit for contributions made for purposes of that program, empowers parents and guardians to choose from public, private, charter or homeschool options for their children’s education. Catholic and other nonpublic school parents often make difficult sacrifices to pay tuition and fees while…

Read More

Stop Subsidizing Abortion: Testimony in Support of SB650

My name is Jennifer Allmon and I’m the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. I am testifying in support of SB 650. Last session the legislature had the wisdom and foresight to pass legislation to protect taxpayers from subsidizing abortion through preferential contracts and property deals. Despite the fact that time and…

Read More

Strengthen Freedom of Conscience: Testimony in Support of SB 247

My name is Rachana Chhin, and I am a licensed Texas attorney and Legislative Counsel of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of SB 247. The Texas bishops support religious liberty especially as it pertains to human life, marriage, and the family, as well as supporting conscience protection for individuals and organizations.…

Read More

Conscience Protection for Healthcare Professionals HB 1291 (Bell) | SB 573 (Springer)

In 1973, the same year the Supreme Court changed abortion law in the U.S., Congress passed provisions collectively known as the Church Amendments to protect the conscience rights of workers and institutions in the healthcare industry (Federal Health Care Conscience Protection Statutes, 1973). In 1977, Texas followed suit with its own conscience protections of health…

Read More

Twelve Month Continuous Medicaid for Children

Data shows that thousands of eligible children are being removed from the Medicaid program due to an inefficient, rushed process. Keeping a child enrolled for 12 months would allow parents peace of mind and ensure a child receives the continuous healthcare so necessary to keep a child healthy and out of the emergency room.  …

Read More

Let doctors practice medicine, not abortion!

From USCCB Pro-Life Action Alerts:  Do you think that doctors should be forced to perform abortions or “gender transition” procedures against their beliefs? Or that taxpayers should be forced to pay for them? If the answer is NO, please send a comment to the Department of Health and Human Services today! A little background: In…

Read More

Sine Die Report for the 86th Legislature

Sine Die Report on Priority Bills in the 86th Legislative Session Educate: Throughout the 2019 session, we educated and mobilized the laity to take an active role in supporting the bishops’ agenda. Specifically, we have published online briefs—available here—of the topics on our legislative agenda to explain Church teaching and how to improve state law.…

Read More

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 More

SB 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 More

SB 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 More

SB 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 More

HB 995: Alternate agent for medical power of attorney could cause confusion

Michael Barba Associate Director of Public Policy The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops oppose HB 995. Cause for Opposition. On page 6, lines 17-20 HB 995 states: “You may wish to designate an alternate agent in the event that your agent is unwilling, unable, or ineligible to act as your agent. Any alternative agent you designate…

Read More

Proposed rules right long-time wrong

Last week the Department of State Health Services published long overdue draft rules for the humane and dignified disposition of human fetal remains. Support of these rules is something on which people on both sides of the fractious abortion debate can find common ground.  Regardless of one’s definition — unborn babies, products of conception, fetuses,…

Read More

Statement By Texas Catholic Conference On HHS Mandate Ruling

The Texas Catholic Conference today expressed disappointment at the U.S. Fifth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals’ ruling Monday that would force religious institutions to violate their faith. Several Texas dioceses and churches have long objected to provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act that require religious employers to provide health insurance that covers contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortions unless…

Read More

Bishops’ Efforts For Advance Directives Reform Signed Into Texas Law

With the stroke of his pen Governor Greg Abbott capped off several years of public advocacy by Texas Catholics with his signing House Bill 3074 into law. The measure requires the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration for patients who wish it, unless the provision of food and water causes harm to the patient. The…

Read More