Texas House Advances Bills Restricting Abortion Pills, Travel Funding, Legal Protections

Texas has recently passed several significant legislative measures tightening abortion restrictions and clarifying exceptions under the state's near-total abortion ban. Senate Bill 2880 introduces stringent penalties for individuals involved in providing abortion-inducing drugs, including allowing lawsuits up to $100,000 even without proof the pills caused fetal death, and prohibits pre-enforcement legal challenges. Senate Bill 31, known as the Life of the Mother Act, clarifies that doctors may perform medically necessary abortions when the mother's life is at risk without waiting for imminent harm, aiming to protect healthcare providers from legal uncertainty. Senate Bill 33 bans Texas cities from using taxpayer funds to support out-of-state abortion travel or related logistical assistance, empowering both the attorney general and private citizens to sue violators; this bill targets funding programs in cities like Austin and San Antonio and has drawn criticism from local officials who see it as an infringement on local control and reproductive rights. Pro-life groups have celebrated these laws as major victories protecting unborn children, while opponents argue they exacerbate the reproductive health crisis and restrict personal medical decisions. These legislative actions reflect Texas Republicans' ongoing efforts to enforce abortion restrictions despite legal and political challenges at the local level.