SB 466 presented by Angela Paxton on Monday, Feb. 3 in the Texas Senate

Sen. Angela Paxton introduced SB 466, a bill on Health, to the Texas Senate on Monday, Feb. 3 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the definition of fetal death certificate’’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

The bill amends the definition of a fetal death certificate in the Texas Health and Safety Code. It stipulates that a fetal death certificate is to be filed for any fetus weighing 350 grams or more, or if the weight is unknown, for a fetus age 20 weeks or more, with age calculated from the last normal menstrual period to the date of delivery. Additionally, a fetal death certificate can be filed for a fetus of any weight or gestational age if a family member requests it. The bill takes effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in each house; otherwise, it takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.

Angela Paxton, member of the Senate Committee on Nominations and vice chair of the Senate Committee on State Affairs, proposed another three bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Paxton graduated from Baylor University with a BS.

Angela Paxton is currently serving in the Texas State Senate, representing the state's 8th Senate district. She replaced previous state senator Van Taylor in 2019.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.