Texas Senate approves bill allowing lawsuits against abortion pill makers, distributors
- The Texas Senate passed House Bill 7, allowing private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures or distributes abortion medication, even outside the state, with potential damages of at least $100,000 per case.
- The bill exempts Texas women who take abortion pills from lawsuits and shifts enforcement from the state to private individuals, aiming to bypass protections offered by other states' abortion shield laws.
- Bill supporters, including State Sen. Bryan Hughes, argue it protects unborn children and women from "poisonous" abortion drugs and enables accountability for out-of-state providers.
- Abortion is nearly entirely banned in Texas, but residents continue to access care via telehealth and mail-order services based in states with legal protections for providers.
- The bill now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott's signature, with backing from pro-life groups who view HB 7 as a critical tool to curb abortion-by-mail and challenge shield laws in other states.
The Texas Senate has approved a sweeping bill that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures or distributes abortion medication, regardless of whether they are located inside or outside of the state.
House Bill 7, passed on Sept. 3 by a 17–8 vote, allows almost any private citizen to file a lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of abortion medication, except for Texas women who take abortion pills to terminate their own pregnancies. Under the bill, individuals who successfully sue a maker or distributor of abortion pills could be awarded at least $100,000 in damages.
State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R), one of the authors of the bill, characterized the bill as a measure to protect "precious, little unborn babies" and their mothers from what he called
dangerous and unregulated substances.
"You manufacture and ship poisonous illegal drugs into Texas, and people are harmed, you will be held accountable," he said during the night vote. "We make no apology for that. Texas must defend our citizens, and that's what this bill is about." (Related:
Louisiana classifies abortion pills as controlled DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES.)
Moreover, HB 7 seeks to bypass laws that block local authorities from cooperating with out-of-state abortion investigations by allowing private citizens to file lawsuits, instead of relying on government enforcement.
The measure now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law.
Pro-lifers celebrate HB 7 as a crackdown on the illicit flow of abortion drugs in Texas
The legislation is the latest escalation in Texas Republicans' efforts to eliminate access to abortion in the state.
According to
Brighteon.AI's Enoch, abortion is almost entirely prohibited in Texas, with very limited exceptions, and those who violate the law face severe civil and criminal penalties since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. But despite the ban, Texans have continued to access abortion care through mail-order medication provided by telehealth services based in other states. Many of these providers are shielded by laws that prevent local authorities from cooperating with out-of-state investigations or lawsuits related to abortion services.
Supporters of the bill view it as
a crackdown on the illicit flow of abortion drugs into the state, especially via mail and telehealth services based in states with so-called abortion shield laws.
"It is already illegal to traffic abortion drugs in Texas under the Human Life Protection Act, and our priority remains enforcement of that and other laws," said Amy O’Donnell, communications director for Texas Alliance for Life. "The revised version of HB 7 provides another tool against illegal abortion-by-mail while including vital protections for women."
Ashley Leenerts, the legislative director for Texas Right to Life, also echoed a similar stance. "HB 7 is the strongest proposed tool to stop this crisis. It provides a new avenue to undermine anti-state laws and empowers women who are tragically targets of the abortion industry to hold traffickers accountable."
Visit
Abortions.news for more stories about abortion drugs such as mifepristone and misoprostol.
Watch this video that talks about
the Supreme Court's decision to restore access to mifepristone.
This video is from the
Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Walgreens, CVS to sell ABORTION PILLS in states where abortion is still legal.
Kamala Harris blames Georgia abortion laws for death of two pregnant women who took abortion pills.
Texas Republicans push new bill to criminalize distribution of abortion pills.
Canada passes controversial bill providing FREE contraception and abortion pills to all.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes budget plan to expand access to abortion pills.
Sources include:
TheHill.com
Brighteon.AI
Click2Houston.com
Brighteon.com