MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The Texas Senate passed a bill allowing $100,000 lawsuits against anyone who manufactures, distributes, or mails abortion medication, but the legislation appears stalled in the House with the legislative session ending Monday. Republicans frame it as enforcing existing law and protecting women's safety, while Democrats view it as overreach.
- The bill would allow lawsuits up to $100,000 against anyone involved in providing abortion medication
- With the legislative session ending Monday, the bill has not been scheduled for debate in the House
- The legislation follows a 2022 Texas law that criminalized nearly all abortions in the state
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Texas lawmakers are considering a controversial bill targeting the distribution of abortion pills, but time may be running out for its passage.
The bill, which passed the Senate and moved to the House, would allow lawsuits of up to $100,000 against anyone who manufactures, distributes, or mails abortion medication.
"It was the Republicans' new and improved abortion bounty bill. Raised the bounty from $10,000 to $100,000, went after different targets for aiding and abetting," Cheryl Foster, Democratic Precinct Chair, said.
After a 2022 Texas law criminalized nearly all abortions in the state, including those performed with medication, this new legislation aimed to create an enforcement mechanism for existing restrictions.
"It was already made illegal to ship these medications into Texas, so this was the enforcement mechanism," said Pro-life activist Lisa Dickison.
The bill, SB 2880, appears unlikely to advance further as the 89th Legislative Session is scheduled to end Monday, with no debate or vote scheduled on the House floor.
Christopher DeCluitt, chairman of the Republican Party, defended the legislation as being in line with voters' wishes.
"Sometimes these mail order abortion pills do not include instructions and sometimes these instructions are in foreign languages, it's seeking to further regulate so the safety of the individual citizens can be preserved," DeCluitt said.
Democratic Precinct Chair Cheryl Foster believes Republicans pushed too far with this legislation.
"I think they overplayed their hand because instead of going after the supporters of women, they went after the lawyers who were going to support women and then they went after the judges that would have determined whether this law was unconstitutional and legal. It just crossed the line," Foster said.
Local pro-life activist Lisa Dickison supports controlling how abortion medications are administered, arguing it helps protect women from pregnancy complications.
"I think the benefit of passing this law is not the lawsuit that may come, it's that knowing we aren't going to allow people to break our Texas laws," Dickison said.
Decluit says if this bill were to pass, he would consider it a win. But if it fails, Foster calls it a "dodged bullet." Currently, there is no vote for the bill scheduled in the House.
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