(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott is continuing to take action against birth tourism in Texas. On Tuesday, he took his third action in three weeks, issuing an executive order directing five state agencies to take action.
The order issues directives to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), HHSC Office of Inspector General, Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“%6I2D H:== ?@E E@=6C2E6 E96 6IA=@:E2E:@? @7 @FC :>>:8C2E:@? =2HD 3J :?5:G:5F2=D EC2G6=:?8 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :==682==J @C F?56C 72=D6 AC6E6?D6D E@ 8:G6 3:CE9 2?5 D64FC6 4:E:K6?D9:A 7@C E96:C 49:=5[” p33@EE D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] %96 @C56C 5:C64ED E96 286?4:6D “E@ :?G6DE:82E6 3:CE9 E@FC:D> D496>6D 2?5 9@=5 244@F?E23=6 2?J AC@G:56C E92E 724:=:E2E6D E9:D 7C2F5] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“&]$] 4:E:K6?D9:A :D ?@E 7@C D2=6[ 2?5 %6I2D H:== AFE 2 DE@A E@ :?5:G:5F2=D D66<:?8 E@ AC@7:E 7C@> 3:CE9 E@FC:D>]”k^DA2?m k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw6 :DDF65 E96 5:C64E:G6D 27E6C E96 &]$] $FAC6>6 r@FCE CF=65 :? =2E6 yF?6 E92E E96 `cE9 p>6?5>6?E 4:E:K6?D9:A 4=2FD6 2AA=:6D E@ 49:=5C6? 3@C? :? E96 &]$] 27E6C E96 >@E96C :==682==J 6?E6CD E96 4@F?ECJ] x? C6DA@?D6[ p33@EE 2?5k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^E6I2D^2CE:4=60g2c7c227\54hg\cf3e\gae4\b374fg2`ga73]9E>=Qm@E96CD H2C?65k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?mE96 CF=:?8 H@F=5 724:=:E2E6 4C:>:?2= 24E:G:EJ[ :?4=F5:?8 3:CE9 E@FC:D>] k^DA2?m k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m“q:CE9 E@FC:D>” 4C:>:?2= ?6EH@C<D @C496DEC2E6 :==682= 6?ECJ 2?5 G:D2 7C2F5 E@ 724:=:E2E6 7@C6:8? ?2E:@?2= H@>6? 8:G:?8 3:CE9 :? E96 &]$] 2?5 2C6 2=D@ 4@??64E65 E@ 6IE6?D:G6 H6=72C6 7C2F5[ :?G6DE:82E@CD 92G6 7@F?5] !C@D64FE:@?D DA2? 7C@> r2=:7@C?:2 k^DA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^E6I2D^2CE:4=607g526d3_\a35f\ce34\gb6_\ah2de5dcca3c]9E>=QmE@ %6I2Dk^2mk^DEC@?8mkDA2?mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mE@ E96 k^DA2?mkDA2?mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=60a533a27c\3faa\``67\3ch4\d76c`g7_df2d]9E>=QmkDEC@?8m}@CE96C? |2C:2?2 xD=2?5Dk^DEC@?8m]k^2mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(:E9:? 2 H66< @7 E96 9:89 4@FCE’D CF=:?8[ p33@EE 7:CDE 5:C64E65 ww$r E@ :?G6DE:82E6 2 724:=:EJ 2E E96 %6I2D\|6I:4@ 3@C56C[ |:DD:@? #68:@?2= |65:42= r6?E6C[ 7@C 25G6CE:D:?8 “3:CE9 A24<286D :? D@FE9 %6I2D” E@ H@>6? @G6CD62D] %96 25G6CE:D6>6?ED E2C86E65 7@C6:8? ?2E:@?2= H@>6?[ 6?4@FC28:?8 E96> E@ 4@>6 E@ E96 46?E6C E@ 8:G6 3:CE9 2?5 2==6865=J :?G@=G65 2 AC@7:E D496>6 C6=2E65 E@ D64FC:?8 &]$] 4:E:K6?D9:A[ p33@EE 2C8F65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 724:=:EJ 24<?@H=65865 :? 2? 6>2:= E@ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E92E :ED “>2C<6E:?8 >2E6C:2=D C682C5:?8 >2E6C?:EJ D6CG:46D 2C6 ?@ =@?86C :? FD6 5F6 E@ 2?J F?:?E6?565 >:DF?56CDE2?5:?8] (6 :?E6?5 E@ H@C< 4@@A6C2E:G6=J 2?5 EC2?DA2C6?E=J H:E9 =@42= 2?5 DE2E6 @77:4:2=D] ~FC 7@4FD C6>2:?D @? 56=:G6C:?8 D276[ 9:89\BF2=:EJ 42C6 E@ 6G6CJ A2E:6?E H9@ D66<D @FC D6CG:46D]Qk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(:E9:? 2 H66< @7 p33@EE’D 5:C64E:G6[ ww$r C676CC65 EH@ 286?4:6D E@ E96 ~77:46 @7 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= E@ =2F?49 2 4C:>:?2= :?G6DE:82E:@?] ~?6 H2D E96 |:DD:@? 46?E6Cj E96 @E96C H2D z?2AA |65:42= r6?E6C :? (6D=24@] z?2AA 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mq@E9 724:=:E:6D 2C6 =@42E65 2E E96 &$\|6I:4@ 3@C56C] %96J 2C6 2=D@ 3@E9 277:=:2E65 H:E9 E96 !C:>6 w62=E942C6 u@F?52E:@?] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp=E9@F89 E96 H63D:E6 =:DE65 @? E96 |:DD:@? 46?E6C’D 3:==3@2C5[ Vk^DA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^92G6>J323J:?E6I2D]4@>^Qm92G6>J323J:?%t)p$]4@>k^2mk^DEC@?8mkDA2?m[’ 2AA62CD E@ 92G6 366? E2<6? 5@H?[ “2? 2C49:G65 G6CD:@? C6>2:?D 2G2:=23=6 @?=:?6 2?5 :56?E:7:6D E96 EH@ %6I2D 9@DA:E2=D[” ww$r D2:5[ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6k^DA2?m kDA2?mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^E6I2D^2CE:4=60a_76g27a\6bdh\c357\h6b_\fe65a64_434`]9E>=QmkDEC@?8mC6A@CE65k^DEC@?8m]k^2mk^DA2?m k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m~?6 H66< 27E6C ww$r’D 4C:>:?2= C676CC2=[ p33@EE :DDF65 %F6D52J’D @C56C 5:C64E:?8 E96 7:G6 DE2E6 286?4:6D E@ E2<6 24E:@?] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 @C56C DE2E6D E92E E96 EH@ %6I2D 9@DA:E2=D “2==6865=J A=2465 3:==3@2C5D :? 2 7@C6:8? 4@F?ECJ 25G6CE:D:?8 3:CE9 A24<286D :? $@FE9 %6I2D 7@C 7:I65 AC:46D DE2CE:?8 2D =@H 2D Sb[hd_ 2?5 5:C64E65 G:6H6CD E@ 2 H63D:E6 D@=:4:E:?8 A2E:6?ED E@ 6?8286 :? >65:42= 3:CE9:?8 D6CG:46D]”k^DA2?m k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 @C56C 5:C64ED s$w$[ ww$r[ ~xv[ %|q[ q~} 2?5 %s{# E@ :?G6DE:82E6 4=2:>D @7 3:CE9 E@FC:D> D496>6D H:E9:? E96 %6I2D 962=E942C6 :?5FDECJ] xE 5:C64ED E96> E@ :?G6DE:82E6 “=:46?D65 @C C68F=2E65 :?5:G:5F2=D 2?5 6?E:E:6D E92E 2C6 25G6CE:D:?8[ D@=:4:E:?8[ 6?828:?8 :?[ 2DD:DE:?8 H:E9[ AC@G:5:?8[ @C @E96CH:D6 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :?” 3:CE9 E@FC:D> 24E:G:E:6D] xE 2=D@ 5:C64ED E96> E@ C6G@<6 @C DFDA6?5 =:46?D6D[ E@ AC@9:3:E A2CE:4:A2E:@? 2?5 DE2E6 4@?EC24ED[ 56?J DE2E6 36?67:ED @C E2<6 @E96C 6?7@C46>6?E 24E:@?D] xE 2=D@ 5:C64ED E96> E@ >2<6 4C:>:?2= C676CC2=D 7@C AC@D64FE:@? H96? :56?E:7J:?8 6I2>A=6D @7 2==6865 7C2F5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 8@G6C?@C’D @77:46 :D 6?4@FC28:?8 >6>36CD @7 E96 AF3=:4 k^DA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@:8]99D]E6I2D]8@G^4@?E24EQmE@ C6A@CEk^2mk^DEC@?8mkDA2?m 2?J 3:CE9 E@FC:D> 25D @C A@E6?E:2= :>>:8C2E:@?\C6=2E65 962=E942C6 7C2F5 E@ E96 ww$r ~77:46 @7 x?DA64E@C v6?6C2= 2?5 E@ E96 k^DA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@:8]99D]8@G^7C2F5^C6A@CE\7C2F5^Qms6A2CE>6?E @7 yFDE:46k^2mk^DEC@?8mkDA2?m] k^DA2?mk^Am
