Texas governor signs abortion bill banning procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy Timothy Bella
Replay Video UP NEXT Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday signed legislation banning abortions in the state as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, a measure slammed by critics as one of the strictest and most extreme measures in the nation and hailed by antiabortion supporters as a landmark achievement. The Texas bill known as S.B. 8, described as a “heartbeat ban” abortion measure, prohibits the procedure the moment a fetal heartbeat has been detected. By banning abortion after the six-week mark, many women in Texas who are not even aware they are pregnant will not be allowed to get the procedure done in the state. The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, does not include exceptions for women impregnated as a result of rape or incest, but offers a provision for medical emergencies.
By banning abortion after the six-week mark, many women in Texas who are not even aware they are pregnant will not be allowed to get the procedure done in the state.
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Wednesday that abortion opponents call a milestone measure to protect life while advocates decry it as one of the most extreme restrictions in the country and vow to continue fighting it in court. The bill from Mineola Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes sets
Close
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into a law Wednesday a measure that would prohibit in Texas abortions as early as six weeks â before some women know they are pregnant â and open the door for almost any private citizen to sue abortion providers and others. editor s pick topical featured top story With heartbeat, new law sets tone for abortions
By Shannon Najmabadi
The Texas Tribune May 20, 2021
6 hrs ago
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into a law Wednesday a measure that would prohibit in Texas abortions as early as six weeks â before some women know they are pregnant â and open the door for almost any private citizen to sue abortion providers and others.
Texas Gov Signs Ban Allowing Private Citizens to Sue Abortion Providers for $10K
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds up the signed heartbeat ban on abortion at a signing ceremony on May 19, 2021.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill on Wednesday that would ban abortion before many women even know they’re pregnant, and allow nearly any private citizen to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman terminate her pregnancy.
The “heartbeat ban” would prohibit abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, and includes exemptions for medical emergencies but not cases of rape or incest. Abortion rights advocates vowed to challenge the law in court, arguing that it would ban abortions as early as two weeks after a missed menstrual cycle, an impossibly early date that effectively amounts to full abortion prohibition, said Dyana Limon-Mercado, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes.