Abortion services to resume in Waco
Without fanfare, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas has resumed abortion services in Waco, more than three years after state laws forced it to close.
The abortion clinic opened in mid-April, the result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that overturned provisions under Texas House Bill 2 that the Waco clinic was unable to meet. The Waco clinic got a new license last fall.
Kelly Hart, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said she was not aware of other Planned Parenthood facilities elsewhere in Texas that may be reopening. Other cities -- including College Station -- also have lost abortion clinics in recent years that have not been restored. The Waco clinic, which is about 90 miles from Bryan-College Station, makes it the closest abortion provider to the Brazos Valley
The abortion clinic, which opened in 1994, served about 800 women a year until it closed in 2013 because of its inability to meet the HB2 standards of "ambulatory surgical care" and hospital admitting privileges. The closure left a gap of abortion services between Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, and Planned Parenthood clinics haven't seen a corresponding increase in numbers.
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