The Texas Senate has passed a pro-life bill to protect mothers and unborn babies by banning mail-order abortion drugs.
Sponsored by state Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, Senate Bill 4 would prohibit abortion groups from selling or providing abortion-inducing drugs by mail or other delivery services. It would require physicians to provide the abortion drugs in-person to the mother after performing an examination and obtaining her voluntary and informed consent.
The state Senate voted 19-3 in favor of the bill with bipartisan support. It now moves to the state House for consideration.
“It’s a life-saving piece of legislation that really should receive everyone’s support,” Lucio told Texas Alliance for Life this week. “I don’t see how we can not support the health of the woman by making sure she has professional medical help.”
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Lucio said his bill responds to the Biden administration’s decision to stop enforcing a long-standing abortion safety regulation in April. This means the abortion drugs now may be sold through the mail without the woman ever seeing a doctor in person.
A pro-life Democrat, Lucio said he does not want to see mothers die as well as their unborn babies as a result of this action.
“That really, really is a horrible thought that … any woman seeking an abortion would administer that dangerous drug herself, someone that is not an expert in the field of medicine,” he said.
In the bill, Texas lawmakers pointed out the serious risks of abortion drugs, including “uterine hemorrhage, viral infections, abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, headache, fatigue and pelvic inflammatory disease.”
A recent analysis of complications data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration showed 20 women died and thousands experienced complications after taking the abortion drugs between 2000 and 2019.
Other research also has found significant complication risks. A 2009 study “Immediate Complications After Medical Compared With Surgical Termination of Pregnancy,” in Obstetrics and Gynecology found a complication rate of approximately 20 percent for the abortion drugs compared to 5.6 percent for surgical abortions.
Susan B. Anthony List state policy director Sue Liebel said the legislation is “critical” as the number of chemical abortions (drug-induced abortions) increases across the U.S.
“While the profit-driven abortion industry downplays the risks, these potent drugs are not safe either for unborn babies or their mothers,” Liebel said. “We thank Governor Abbott for prioritizing the safety of women and girls, State Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. for his courageous leadership in authoring this legislation, the senators who have joined him as co-authors and all our pro-life allies for their advocacy of this bill.”
A recent analysis by the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that chemical abortions are increasing rapidly in the U.S. and they available with almost no medical oversight. And while multiple women have died and hundreds more have been hospitalized, complications are significantly underreported.
Texas lawmakers are in a special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott. One of the governor’s priorities for the session is the pro-life bill.
“The 87th Legislative Session was a monumental success for the people of Texas, but we have unfinished business to ensure that Texas remains the most exceptional state in America,” the Republican governor said in a statement.“I look forward to working with my partners in the Legislature to pass this legislation as we build a brighter future for all who call Texas home.”
Texas lawmakers passed several pro-life laws already this year, including legislation to prohibit abortions once an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable. However, the abortion industry is suing to block the law.
Several other states also passed laws this year to protect unborn babies from dangerous abortion drugs. These includes laws to inform women of the life-saving abortion pill reversal treatment in Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia, and regulations on abortion drugs that protect mothers and unborn babies in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Montana.
ACTION ALERT: Contact Texas state lawmakers to urge support for the pro-life bill.
