---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to abortion, including abortions after detection of an unborn child's heartbeat; authorizing a private civil right of action."
description: "Relating to abortion, including abortions after detection of an unborn child's heartbeat; authorizing a private civil right of action."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "87"
identifier: "SB 8"
citation: "Texas SB 8 (87)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ATTORNEY'S FEES (S0202)", "Abortion (I0005)", "HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION (V0177)", "INFORMED CONSENT (S0057)", "PHYSICIANS (S1282)", "PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH (S0294)", "TEXAS HEARTBEAT ACT (PT3J7)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bettencourt", "Birdwell", "Buckingham", "Burrows", "Cain", "Campbell", "Creighton", "Hall", "Hancock", "Huffman", "Hughes", "Klick", "Kolkhorst", "Leach", "Lucio", "Nelson", "Paxton", "Perry", "Schwertner", "Slawson", "Springer", "Taylor"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 65
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-03-11"
last_action: "2021-05-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/08e895ff-282f-40d1-8cec-8943092ead76"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/87R/billhistory/senate_bills/SB00001_SB00099/SB 8.xml"
source_hash: "e61860a7d4b9171cfc1ed5fcfd92d95e84a102c6471f7454f8b0efefa54fe263"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas SB 8 (87) — Relating to abortion, including abortions after detection of an unborn child's heartbeat; authorizing a private civil right of action.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/SB00008I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/SB00008E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/SB00008H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/SB00008S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/SB00008F.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **81–63** (pass) · lower
- passage — **19–12** (pass) · upper
- passage — **19–12** (pass) · upper
- passage — **19–12** (pass) · upper
- passage — **83–64** (pass) · lower
- passage — **19–12** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bettencourt — primary (person)
- Birdwell — primary (person)
- Buckingham — primary (person)
- Burrows — primary (person)
- Cain — primary (person)
- Campbell — primary (person)
- Creighton — primary (person)
- Hall — primary (person)
- Hancock — primary (person)
- Huffman — primary (person)
- Hughes — primary (person)
- Klick — primary (person)
- Kolkhorst — primary (person)
- Leach — primary (person)
- Lucio — primary (person)
- Nelson — primary (person)
- Paxton — primary (person)
- Perry — primary (person)
- Schwertner — primary (person)
- Slawson — primary (person)
- Springer — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- Allison — cosponsor (person)
- Anderson — cosponsor (person)
- Ashby — cosponsor (person)
- Bailes — cosponsor (person)
- Bell, Cecil — cosponsor (person)
- Bell, Keith — cosponsor (person)
- Biedermann — cosponsor (person)
- Bonnen — cosponsor (person)
- Buckley — cosponsor (person)
- Burns — cosponsor (person)
- Capriglione — cosponsor (person)
- Cason — cosponsor (person)
- Clardy — cosponsor (person)
- Cook — cosponsor (person)
- Cyrier — cosponsor (person)
- Darby — cosponsor (person)
- Dean — cosponsor (person)
- Ellzey — cosponsor (person)
- Frank — cosponsor (person)
- Frullo — cosponsor (person)
- Gates — cosponsor (person)
- Goldman — cosponsor (person)
- Harless — cosponsor (person)
- Harris — cosponsor (person)
- Hefner — cosponsor (person)
- Holland — cosponsor (person)
- Huberty — cosponsor (person)
- Hull — cosponsor (person)
- Hunter — cosponsor (person)
- Jetton — cosponsor (person)
- King, Ken — cosponsor (person)
- King, Phil — cosponsor (person)
- Krause — cosponsor (person)
- Kuempel — cosponsor (person)
- Lambert — cosponsor (person)
- Landgraf — cosponsor (person)
- Leman — cosponsor (person)
- Lozano — cosponsor (person)
- Metcalf — cosponsor (person)
- Middleton — cosponsor (person)
- Murphy — cosponsor (person)
- Murr — cosponsor (person)
- Noble — cosponsor (person)
- Oliverson — cosponsor (person)
- Paddie — cosponsor (person)
- Parker — cosponsor (person)
- Patterson — cosponsor (person)
- Paul — cosponsor (person)
- Price — cosponsor (person)
- Raney — cosponsor (person)
- Rogers — cosponsor (person)
- Sanford — cosponsor (person)
- Schaefer — cosponsor (person)
- Schofield — cosponsor (person)
- Shaheen — cosponsor (person)
- Shine — cosponsor (person)
- Slaton — cosponsor (person)
- Smith — cosponsor (person)
- Spiller — cosponsor (person)
- Stephenson — cosponsor (person)
- Stucky — cosponsor (person)
- Swanson — cosponsor (person)
- Thompson, Ed — cosponsor (person)
- Tinderholt — cosponsor (person)
- Toth — cosponsor (person)
- VanDeaver — cosponsor (person)
- Vasut — cosponsor (person)
- White — cosponsor (person)
- Wilson — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-11** Received by the Secretary of the Senate `filing`
- **2021-03-11** Filed `filing`
- **2021-03-11** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-03-11** Referred to State Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-15** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2021-03-15** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-03-15** Testimony taken in committee
- **2021-03-15** Left pending in committee
- **2021-03-16** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-03-22** Reported favorably as substituted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-22** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2021-03-23** Placed on intent calendar
- **2021-03-29** Rules suspended-Regular order of business
- **2021-03-29** Record vote
- **2021-03-29** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-03-29** Amendment(s) offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-03-29** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-03-29** Record vote
- **2021-03-29** Passed to engrossment as amended
- **2021-03-29** Record vote
- **2021-03-30** Rules suspended-Regular order of business
- **2021-03-30** Record vote
- **2021-03-30** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-03-30** Passed `passage`
- **2021-03-30** Record vote
- **2021-03-30** Remarks ordered printed
- **2021-03-30** Reported engrossed
- **2021-03-31** Received from the Senate `introduction`
- **2021-04-06** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-04-06** Referred to Public Health `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-15** Considered in formal meeting
- **2021-04-15** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage`
- **2021-04-28** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- **2021-04-28** Committee report distributed
- **2021-04-29** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2021-05-03** Considered in Calendars
- **2021-05-05** Placed on Major State Calendar
- **2021-05-05** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-05-05** Postponed
- **2021-05-05** Laid out as postponed business
- **2021-05-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-05** Record vote
- **2021-05-05** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-05-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-05** Record vote
- **2021-05-05** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-05-05** Amendment withdrawn `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2021-05-05** Passed to 3rd reading as amended
- **2021-05-05** Record vote
- **2021-05-05** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-05-06** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-05-06** Passed `passage`
- **2021-05-06** Record vote
- **2021-05-10** House passage as amended reported
- **2021-05-13** House amendment(s) laid before the Senate
- **2021-05-13** Read
- **2021-05-13** Senate concurs in House amendment(s)
- **2021-05-13** Record vote
- **2021-05-13** Senate concurs in House amendment(s)-reported
- **2021-05-13** Reported enrolled
- **2021-05-14** Signed in the Senate
- **2021-05-14** Signed in the House
- **2021-05-14** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-19** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-19** Effective on 9/1/21 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/08e895ff-282f-40d1-8cec-8943092ead76`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).