Bill Roundup: Feminist Policy in Texas

How women in the Texas Legislature are shaping feminist policy.

Note: This is a long article. I got carried away.

In 2025, 51 women will serve in the Texas House. Out of 150 members, that’s 34% of the body—the most women have ever served in the Texas House at one time, a new record. Of the 51 women in the House, 31 are Democrats (50% of the Caucus), and 20 are Republicans (22% of the Caucus).

Only nine women will be in the Texas Senate: four Democrats and five Republicans. This is less than the record of ten set in the 87th Legislative Session.

However, considering the large number of women lawmakers in the Texas House, the question arises: Will feminist issues finally be passed?

What are feminist issues?

Feminist issues encompass policies promoting gender equity and addressing the systemic challenges women face in society. In the context of the Texas Legislature, these issues include measures to improve economic opportunity, ensure healthcare access, protect reproductive rights, combat gender-based violence, and address systemic disparities.

Will these issues gain traction in the 89th Legislative Session? The presence of more women in the House is promising, but numbers alone do not guarantee progress. Legislative priorities are shaped by party politics, ideological divides, and the willingness of leadership to prioritize these bills.

With the Texas House and Senate still dominated by Republican majorities, bipartisan support will be crucial to passing feminist legislation. Which of these issues might find common ground between parties?

The partisan divide.

Phyllis Schlafly (pictured above) was a prominent conservative activist and lawyer best known for her fierce opposition to the feminist movement and her role in defeating the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s. One of the worst anti-feminism crusaders in recent political history was a woman. She was a Conservative Republican.

Women serving in political office is one of feminism’s most significant achievements. It shows gender equality in political representation. From the suffragette movement to the women’s liberation movement, feminism redefined leadership as a gender-neutral role. The increasing number of women in office is a direct outcome of feminism. This is why anti-feminist women in office are a paradox—benefiting from the very progress feminism has achieved while often opposing policies that promote further gender equity.

Anti-feminist women leverage the opportunities feminism created to gain power, yet they use that power to uphold traditional gender roles or block feminist legislation.

While more women are in the Texas House than ever, having more women in office does not automatically mean progress for feminist issues. Instead, Conservative women in office prioritize policies aligned with patriarchal values and oppose measures that promote further gender equity.

With a record number of women serving in the Texas House during the 89th Legislative Session, it’s critical to reflect on how female lawmakers—across party lines—are shaping policy. Women in office represent an opportunity to address critical issues that impact gender equity and justice. But representation alone doesn’t guarantee progress. What matters is the substance of their work: the bills they choose to file, champion, and support.

By examining the legislation filed, we can better understand which lawmakers are prioritizing efforts to create a fairer and more equitable Texas—a Texas where all individuals, regardless of gender, have the same opportunities, rights, and freedoms. Conversely, showing who may be working to roll back those gains or promote policies that disproportionately harm women is equally important.

Acronyms:

• HB = House bill.

• SB = Senate bill.

• HD = House district.

• SD = Senate district.

• HJR/SJR = Joint resolutions/Constitutional amendments.

Don’t know what district you’re in? Find out here.

About the Texas bills.

The Texas Legislature began filing bills on November 12 and will continue until March 14, so we don’t know how many more bills will be filed. Only a fraction of the bills filed will get a hearing, and only a fraction will become law.

Abortion access - from Democratic women:

• HB395 by Donna Howard (D-HD48), HB965 by Cassandra Garcia-Hernandez (D-HD115, HB1578 by Penny Morales Shaw (D-HD148), and SB257 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06), Molly Cook (D-SD15), and Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) will all allow women in Texas to receive abortion care in cases of rape and incest—something that is currently illegal in Texas. (Note: Senators Roland Guiterrez, Cesar Blanco, Jose Menéndez, and Borris Miles also authored the Senate bill; they are all Democrats.)

• HB257 by Donna Howard (D-HD48) and SB256 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06), Molly Cook (D-SD15), and Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) will allow a woman to receive abortion care if her life is at risk or there is a fatal fetal abnormality—something that is currently illegal in Texas. (Note: Senators Roland Guiterrez, Cesar Blanco, Jose Menéndez, Nathan Johnson, and Borris Miles also authored the Senate bill; they are all Democrats.)

• HB1219 by Miheala Plesa (D-HD70) and SB350 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06), Molly Cook (D-SD15), and Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) establish a legal framework that prioritizes the health and autonomy of pregnant individuals when receiving healthcare. It ensures their rights are protected and that providers act in their best interest. (Note: Senators Roland Guiterrez and Jose Menéndez also authored the Senate bill; they are both Democrats.)

• HB1220 by Miheala Plesa (D-HD70) would expand abortion exceptions in Texas for individuals aged 35 or older, those with high-risk pregnancies, and pregnancies resulting from IVF.

• HB868 by Donna Howard (D-HD48) requires that all educational materials given to families under the Thriving Texas Families Program are factual, non-coercive, and free from religious influence. (The Thriving Texas Families Program supports pregnant women and families with young children.)

• HB1098 by Sheryl Cole (D-HD46) and SB359 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06), Molly Cook (D-SD15), and Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) expand access to abortion, contraception, and sterilization services by mandating comprehensive coverage under both Medicaid and private health plans, removing financial and procedural barriers, and prioritizing patient access over restrictions. (Note: Senators Roland Guiterrez and Jose Menéndez also authored the Senate bill; they are both Democrats.)

• SB308 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06), Molly Cook (D-SD15), and Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) would repeal Texas’s strict abortion bans and restore access to reproductive healthcare by eliminating the trigger law and older abortion statutes. (Note: Senators Roland Guiterrez, Cesar Blanco, Jose Menéndez, Nathan Johnson, and Borris Miles also authored the Senate bill; they are all Democrats.)

• HB1307 by Claudia Ordaz (D-HD79) refines the legal definition of abortion in Texas to explicitly exclude birth control, oral contraceptives, and in vitro fertilization.

• HJR33 by Vikki Goodwin (D-HD47) and SJR20 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06), Molly Cook (D-SD15), and Sarah Eckhardt would put abortion access on the ballot of the following Constitutional Election (November 2025), allowing the people of Texas to decide. (Note: Senators Roland Guiterrez, Cesar Blanco, Jose Menéndez, Nathan Johnson, and Borris Miles also authored the Senate bill; they are all Democrats.) HJR80 by Ana-Maria Ramos is similar but would also include access to IVF. 

Abortion access - from Republican women:

• HB818 by Valoree Swanson (R-HD150) would classify mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV substances. It effectively criminalizes sending mifepristone and misoprostol by mail from out of state if the sender is not authorized under Texas law to distribute controlled substances.

Health - from Democratic women:

• HB1423 by Vikki Goodwin (D-HD47) and SB45 by Judith Zaffarini (D-SD21) and Molly Cook (D-SD15) would expand Medicaid eligibility in Texas under the Affordable Care Act.

• SJR32 by Molly Cook (D-SD15) proposes a constitutional amendment to expand Medicaid in Texas under the ACA. If voters approve, the amendment would require the state to provide Medicaid coverage to low-income individuals eligible for federal matching funds. (Note: Senator Nathan Johnson (D-SD16) also authored this bill.) HJR100 by Vikki Goodwin (D-HD47) and SJR6 by Judith Zaffarini (D-SD21) and Molly Cook (D-SD15) are very similar resolutions.

• HB233 by Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-HD120) ensures that health benefit plans in Texas cover hair prostheses for breast cancer patients undergoing treatment.

• HB1101 by Sheryl Cole (D-HD46) extends the enrollment period for newborns under employer health benefit plans from 32 days to 61 days after birth.

• HB1207, by Jessica González (D-HD104), modernizes the conditions for health benefit plan coverage of IVF procedures in Texas. By removing the spousal requirement and reducing the duration of the infertility history, the bill broadens access to IVF for individuals in diverse circumstances. 

Health - from Republican women:

• SB206 by Angela Paxton (R-SD08) would create a webpage and mobile app to provide pregnancy-related information in Texas. The bill aims to promote alternatives to abortion in a more accessible way.

Crime and Security - from Democratic women:

• HB234 by Ann Johnson (D-HD134) creates a framework for Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPOs) to address immediate risks of firearm-related harm due to serious mental illness.

• HB179 by Ann Johnson (D-HD134) will provide greater access to justice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation by removing the statute of limitations for specific civil claims.

• HB324 by Ann Johnson (D-HD134) modernizes Texas law on sexual assault by refining the definition of non-consent, addressing power dynamics, and clarifying the obligations of authority figures.

• HB394 by Ann Johnson (D-HD134) amends the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure to expand the admissibility of certain hearsay statements in the prosecution of certain sexual or assaultive offenses.

• HB421 by Ann Johnson (D-HD134) strengthens Texas laws to address the rise of deepfake technology used to create sexually explicit and non-consensual content. HB449 by Mary González (D-HD75) is a similar bill.

• HB220 by Claudia Ordaz (D-HD79) expands the minimum standards of care that healthcare facilities are required to provide to survivors of sexual assault.

• HB502 by Lulu Flores (D-HD51) and SB487 by Carol Alvarado (D-SD06) expand confidentiality protections to victims of invasive visual recording and indecent assault.

• HB589 by Senfronia Thompson (D-HD141) empowers the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to actively combat human trafficking within its regulated industries by establishing an anti-trafficking unit.

• HB754 by Senfronia Thompson (D-HD141) strengthens Texas's human trafficking prevention efforts by focusing on the healthcare sector. It mandates employee training and provides clear guidance on recognizing and reporting trafficking.

• HB1121 by Erin Gámez (D-HD38) addresses the unlawful creation, disclosure, or promotion of intimate visual material, focusing on content produced or altered using artificial intelligence (AI) or computer software.

• HB1125 by Erin Gámez (D-HD38) prohibits Texas governmental agencies from including non-disclosure clauses in settlement agreements with employees regarding claims of sexual assault or sex-based discrimination.

• HB1332 by Josey Garcia (D-HD124) enhances school district policies on addressing dating violence, requiring updates to district improvement plans and specific measures for student safety and awareness.

• HB1362 by Ana Hernandez (D-HD143) amends the Texas Labor Code to allow employees to qualify for unemployment benefits if they leave their jobs due to sexual harassment.

• SB332 by Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) expands the legal definition of sexual assault without consent in the Texas Penal Code to include additional situations where consent is absent or violated. SB333 by Sarah Eckhardt (D-SD14) is a similar bill but includes the context of health care and mental health services.

Crime and Security - from Republican women:

• HB387 by Terri Leo-Wilson (R-HD23) strengthens Texas laws to address the rise of deepfake technology used to create sexually explicit and non-consensual content.

• HB1345 by Ellen Troxclair (R-HD19) amends the Penal Code to define further situations in which a sexual assault is considered non-consensual.

• HB1422 by Lacey Hull (R-HD138) amends laws related to sexual assault victims' rights, DNA testing of evidence, and penalties for certain sexual offenses.

• HB1686 by Lacey Hull (R-HD138) strengthens legal protections for victims of sexual offenses, sex-based human trafficking, and acts of a sexual nature.

• SB535 by Joan Huffman (R-SD17) limits the admissibility of evidence regarding a victim's past sexual behavior in prosecutions of certain trafficking, sexual, or assault-related offenses.

Wow, look at the time.

I didn’t mean this article to be long, but I’m a total policy nerd and couldn’t help myself. 😭

Diving into these bills is like opening Pandora’s box—you start with a few key issues and suddenly find yourself deep in the weeds of legislative nuances. And while I’ve focused here on reproductive rights, healthcare, and crime-related bills, these are far from the only feminist issues facing Texas women. Topics like labor protections, housing affordability, and accessible childcare deserve just as much attention. Let me know if you’d like to see a part two covering those.

What stood out to me as I pored over the bills is that there are certain feminist issues—like combating sexual assault and human trafficking—that manage to transcend party lines, albeit in different forms. Both Democratic and Republican women lawmakers are tackling these topics, whether through bills addressing deepfake technology, non-consensual content, or broader protections for survivors. It’s encouraging to see bipartisan acknowledgment of these issues.

However, when it comes to healthcare and abortion access, the partisan divide couldn’t be more evident. The Democratic women in the Legislature are leading the charge to expand reproductive healthcare rights, introduce more abortion access exceptions, and ensure Medicaid expansion. Meanwhile, the Republican women are doubling down on policies that restrict abortions. These contrasts show how much ideology shapes legislative priorities, even within the same gender.

This brings us back to the paradox of anti-feminist women in office. As I mentioned earlier, feminism paved the way for women to hold these positions of power. Yet, some of these women use their platforms to block the progress that made their careers possible. Representation matters, but it’s not the end goal—policies that empower all women, regardless of background, are the true measure of feminist success.

This session's record number of women serving in the Texas House is an incredible milestone, but it’s clear that numbers alone won’t advance feminist issues. Progress will depend on their work's substance and willingness to champion meaningful change. And for those of us watching from the sidelines? Our job is to hold them accountable and ask the hard questions: What are you fighting for? And who does it benefit?

• January 14: The 89th Legislative Session begins.

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

LoneStarLeft is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Follow me on Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Instagram.