Texas on Monday finalized a rule that requires healthcare facilities that provide abortions to pay for the burial or cremation of fetal remains instead of disposing of them as biological medical waste, according to a report in The New York Times.
The new requirement, which was a year in the making and will take effect Dec. 19, does not apply to women who miscarry at home. The rule only affects women who have abortions or miscarry at a healthcare facility. It also applies to women who undergo abortions because of ectopic pregnancies.
With the new measure, Texas joins at least three other states — Arkansas, Louisiana and Indiana — that require burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains. Pending lawsuits have stalled the regulations from going into effect in Indiana and Louisiana, according to the report.
The regulation, which is intended to "protect the dignity of the unborn," was championed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, a staunch opponent of abortion, according to the report.
Abortion rights organizations said they are still reviewing the new measure and have not decided whether to file a lawsuit, according to the report.