Austin, Texas — The Texas legislator who helped pioneer the state’s restrictive abortion laws introduced the bill on Friday to clarify medical exceptions permitted under the law, representing a pivot from Republican lawmakers who defended the state’s abortion ban in the face of lawsuits and medical scrutiny.
The bill, introduced by Republican State Sen. Brian Hughes, still requires that doctors attack language that a patient is facing a medical emergency to perform an abortion, but it is a life-threatening condition. The bill also requires doctors and lawyers to receive training in the law.
“We’ve learned in many cases where doctors are willing to treat moms, and hospital lawyers will advise on that,” Hughes said. “So one of the things we want to do is make sure that doctors and hospital lawyers are trained in what the law is.”
Hughes’ proposed law follows similar efforts by Kentucky legislators who added a medical exception to the state’s near-abortion ban on Thursday.
Texas law now prohibits abortion unless pregnant patients have life-threatening conditions. A doctor convicted of providing illegal abortion could face a $100,000 fine and lose his medical license in prison for up to 99 years.
Texas abortion laws are the strictest in the country, and Roev from ROE adversaries. The Wade overturning multiple legal challenges have been overcome as it says it is unclear when medical exceptions are permitted.
Senate Speaker Governor Dan Patrick has made the bill one of his legislative priorities, and Republican Greg Abbott’s office said he is open to supporting legislation.
“Since the DOBBS decision, there have been 135 medically necessary abortions to save the life of a mother in Texas. “Governor Abbott looks forward to seeing clear words in the law proposed by Congress.”
For years, abortion rights advocates have criticised Texas abortion law. This does not necessarily limit the exceptions in the case of incest or rape.
“Abortion bans are dangerous, so there are not enough attempts to clarify from Texas legislators,” said Ashleighray, senior policy advisor at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “As long as you commit a crime for providing care to a doctor, the patient will suffer.”
In 2024, the Texas Supreme Court said the state’s abortion laws were not ambiguous and dominated against a group of women who had serious pregnancy complications and were denied abortion. The Texas Medical Board declined to list certain exceptions for physicians under the law.
Dallas mother Kate Cox was at the heart of another case brought in 2023 due to similar issues after the fetus developed a fatal condition and then the court refused permission to obtain an abortion.
A group of over 100 obstetricians and gynecologists across the state wrote to state officials in November, urging them to reform the law after an investigation by Propublica found that three women had died after doctors delayed treatment for miscarriage.
