Changes

'''Texas Senate Bill 8''', informally and unofficially known as the '''Texas Heartbeat Act''', is a legislative bill passed by the Texas Legislature during its regular session in 2021.  It became the 14th state to pass the [[Heartbeat Bill]]. The principal author of the legislation is the [[Republican Party|Republican]] state Representative [[Briscoe Cain]] of [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], a young but long-time member of the [[pro-life]] community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lifenews.com/2021/11/01/meet-rep-briscoe-cain-whose-abortion-ban-has-saves-the-lives-of-thousands-of-babies/|title=Meet Rep. Briscoe Cain, Whose Abortion Ban Has Saves the Lives of Thousands of Babies|publisher=lifenews.com|date=November 1, 2021|author=Kristan Hawkins|accessdate=December 6, 2021}}</ref>

'''Texas Senate Bill 8 (2021)''', informally and unofficially known as the '''Texas Heartbeat Act''', is a legislative bill passed by the Texas Legislature during its regular session in 2021.  It became the 14th state to pass the [[Heartbeat Bill]]. The principal author of the legislation is the [[Republican Party|Republican]] state Representative [[Briscoe Cain]] of [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], a young but long-time member of the [[pro-life]] community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lifenews.com/2021/11/01/meet-rep-briscoe-cain-whose-abortion-ban-has-saves-the-lives-of-thousands-of-babies/|title=Meet Rep. Briscoe Cain, Whose Abortion Ban Has Saves the Lives of Thousands of Babies|publisher=lifenews.com|date=November 1, 2021|author=Kristan Hawkins|accessdate=December 6, 2021}}</ref>

The legislation, which took official effect on September 1 (the start of the state's fiscal year, when all new legislation formally takes effect in most cases), would prevent [[abortion]]s once a fetal heartbeat is detected (generally, within six weeks after pregnancy) except in cases of medical emergency.

The legislation, which took official effect on September 1 (the start of the state's fiscal year, when all new legislation formally takes effect in most cases), would prevent [[abortion]]s once a fetal heartbeat is detected (generally, within six weeks after pregnancy) except in cases of medical emergency.