Any fetus of any weight or age, when a family member asks.
The bill rewrites the state definition of a fetal death certificate in the Health and Safety Code. It keeps the existing threshold of a fetus weighing 350 grams or more, or 20 weeks or more when the weight is unknown, and adds any fetus of any weight or age when a family member requests a certificate. Families who lose a pregnancy earlier than the current threshold could get a fetal death certificate on request, starting right away or September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 12, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Public Health committee.
relating to the definition of fetal death certificate.
WHAT IT DOES
Any fetus of any weight or age, when a family member asks.
The bill rewrites the state definition of a fetal death certificate in the Health and Safety Code. It keeps the existing threshold of a fetus weighing 350 grams or more, or 20 weeks or more when the weight is unknown, and adds any fetus of any weight or age when a family member requests a certificate. Families who lose a pregnancy earlier than the current threshold could get a fetal death certificate on request, starting right away or September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.
Sources
Senator Paxton moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 466 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 29 (published)
Nay: 1 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.
Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.
Sources
Senator Paxton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 466 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 466, Relating to the definition of fetal death certificate. The motion prevailed. Senator Eckhardt asked to be recorded as voting "Nay" on suspension of the regular order of business. The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses5
For
4
Against
0
On
1
Names
For
Self3 registrations
Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops1 registration
On
Department of State Health Services1 registration
Sources
5 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
House committee · Public Health · Final status: Died in committee
Senate committee · Health & Human Services · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee
Subjects
Health--Other Diseases & Medical Conditions
BIRTH & DEATH CERTIFICATES
PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH
Text
The text as introduced · 163 words
By: Paxton
S.B. No. 466
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the definition of fetal death certificate.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 674.001(2), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(2) "Fetal death certificate" means a death
certificate filed for :
(A) any fetus weighing 350 grams or more or, if
the weight is unknown, a fetus age 20 weeks or more as calculated
from the start date of the last normal menstrual period to the date
of delivery ; or
(B) a fetus of any weight or gestational age
whose family member requests a death certificate .
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring 
