There’s a new piece of legislation in Texas that’s sure to turn heads — specifically those belonging to men.
State Rep. Jessica Farrar (D-Houston) introduced House Bill 4260 (aka the “Man’s Right to Know Act”) in Texas Friday which would require men to pay $100 each time they masturbated, in addition to letting doctors’ “personal, moralistic, or religious beliefs” dictate their decision whether to prescribe patients Viagra or do an elective vasectomy, among other requirements, reports The Texas Tribune.
The bill, which Farrar described as “satirical,” is evidently a sendup of efforts at antiabortion legislation, notes The Washington Post.
Farrar is proposing the fine because if the semen isn’t being used for the purpose of pregnancy, “then it’s a waste … because that semen can be used — and is to be used — for creating more human life,” she told The Texas Tribune.
“Sanctity of life” discussions have come up during the state’s current session due to abortion legislation introduced by Texas Republicans. One proposed bill would saddle both abortion providers and women who have an abortion with murder charges.
Farrar’s bill also includes echoes of legislation past. The Washington Post reports that the bill’s 24-hour waiting period for men seeking vasectomies, colonoscopies or a Viagra prescription following “initial health care consultation,” is a callback to a Texas law from 2011 requiring women to get an ultrasound at least 24 hours prior to having an abortion.
The Huffington Post notes the title of the bill — A Man’s Right to Know — alluded to “A Woman’s Right to Know,” a controversial booklet that was required for women in Texas that wanted abortions. The A Man’s Right to Know booklet “must contain medical information related to the benefits and concerns of a man seeking a vasectomy, Viagra prescriptions or a colonoscopy,” according to the bill.
It may be satirical in nature, but Farrar’s trying to make a larger point in the process even though she knows the bill won’t become a reality.
“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’s attempt to shed light on the issue, of course, didn’t meet unanimous praise.
“I’m embarrassed for Representative Farrar,” Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, told The Texas Tribune. “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.”
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This ‘Satirical’ Texas Bill Would Fine Men for Masturbating originally appeared on usnews.com
