AUSTIN, TX, May 18, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Last Friday, May 15, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 3074, groundbreaking legislation that would end the forced withdrawal of feeding tubes by medical facilities.
The legislation, sponsored by Representative Drew Springer and proudly endorsed by Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC), will stop involuntary euthanasia by starvation and dehydration.
The bill is expected to be taken up by the Senate this week.
H.B. 3074 is the first end-of-life bill in 12 years that has garnered universal agreement among patient advocate, pro-life, disability rights, and religious organizations. While these groups take different approaches to reforming broader aspects of Texas end-of-life law and have filed bills on those issues since 2003, Representative Springer found common ground in that all groups wish to protect patients from forced starvation and dehydration and could therefore support a bill like H.B. 3074 that accomplishes that singular but vital goal.
An inspiring gesture of statesmanship, Representative Patricia Harless chose to delay consideration of her end-of-life bill, House Bill 2351 (which was supported by many groups) until after H.B. 3074 (which was supported by all). This sacrifice ultimately cost H.B. 2351 the opportunity to a floor hearing and vote to allow H.B. 3074 to pass just before the deadline.
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H.B. 3074 was passed on second reading in the Texas House of Representatives last Thursday in under three minutes by a simple voice vote due to overwhelming support from legislators and passed the third and final reading the following afternoon. Representative Springer’s bill boasts four joint authors and 80 co-authors – well over half of the 150 total House membership. But moreover, The final vote in the House of Representatives was unanimous. All 129 members present voted in favor with no oppose and no abstentions.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee is expected to hear H.B. 3074 this week and rapidly pass the measure to a full vote on the Senate floor within a few days.
Once signed, into law, H.B. 3074 will be the first successful reform to the Texas Advanced Directives Act since 2003.
