Democratic Representative Jessica Farrar, the author of House Bill 4260, or the “Man’s Right To Know Act,” includes "proposed satirical regulations" on men masturbating, seeking a prescription for Viagra, and for vasectomies. The bill is aimed at shining a light on “unnecessary” restrictions on women’s healthcare and the right to have an abortion.
— Jessica Farrar (@JFarrarDist148) March 11, 2017
Farrar says that her goal is to make people “stop and think,” as the language mirrors what women in the state face when seeking access to healthcare or an abortion.
"What I would like to see is this make people stop and think,” Farrar told the Texas Tribune. “Maybe my colleagues aren’t capable of that, but the people who voted for them, or the people that didn’t vote at all, I hope that it changes their mind and helps them to decide what the priorities are.”
Farrar is an extremely outspoken activist regarding a women’s right to choose an abortion. She previously fought Texas legislation that required a 24-hour waiting period between a woman’s consultation and receiving an abortion, as well as a bill which requires women to have a transvaginal ultrasound to listen to the heartbeat of their fetus before the procedure.
"I'm embarrassed for Representative Farrar,” Republican Representative Tony Tinderholt said of her bill. “Her attempt to compare [HB 4260] to the abortion issue shows a lack of a basic understanding of human biology. I would recommend that she consider taking a high school biology class from a local public or charter school before filing another bill on the matter."
Farrar is not embarrassed, however.
“A lot of people find the bill funny,” Farrar told the Houston Chronicle. “What’s not funny are the obstacles that Texas women face every day, that were placed there by legislatures making it very difficult for them to access health care."
