GOP Texas lawmaker introduces anti-abortion bill that could allow death penalty for violators

AUSTIN, Texas - A Republican state lawmaker in Texas introduced an anti-abortion bill Tuesday, which would criminalize the act of having or performing an abortion and make it punishable by charges that could carry the death penalty.

"Today, I filed HB 3326 to Abolish Abortion in Texas," state Rep. Bryan Slaton said on Twitter.

"The bill will end the discriminatory practice of terminating the life of innocent children and will guarantee the equal protection of the laws to all Texans, no matter how small," he said.

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The bill filed Tuesday seeks to direct the state attorney general to enforce penalty charges for "assaultive offenses" and "criminal homicide" if an abortion is performed, regardless of any "contrary federal statute, regulation, treaty, order, or court decision."

Though the bill did not account for instances of rape or incest, it did exempt life-threatening cases of ectopic pregnancies, where "a reasonable alternative to save the lives of both the mother and the unborn child is unavailable."

Slaton did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment, but his bill is not the first of its kind to hit the Texas legislature.

Republican state Rep. Tony Tinderholt similarly introduced legislation that would classify abortion as a homicide in 2017, reported the Texas Tribune. But the bill was tabled a month after it was introduced.

Slaton’s bill did not list any co-authors but would require a two-thirds vote in favor of the measure to immediately go into effect.

"It is time for Texas to protect the natural right to life for the tiniest and most innocent Texans, and this bill does just that," Slaton said in a statement Tuesday.

"It’s time Republicans make it clear that we actually think abortion is murder," he added. "Unborn children are dying at a faster rate in Texas than COVID patients, but Texas isn’t taking the abortion crisis seriously."