AUSTIN, Texas.- The bill SB 8 that seeks to ban abortions after six weeks and would allow any private citizen to sue providers of this medical service received final approval from legislators and is heading to the desk of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
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The bill was denounced by lawmakers and doctors, who said its broad legal language could open the door to harassment lawsuits against abortion providers.
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“Instead of focusing on fixing our electricity grid, our state Legislature used its power to impose one of the most extreme and dangerous abortion bans in the country,” said the executive director of the Avow organization, Aimee Arrambide.
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The bill does not make an exception for survivors of rape or incest who become pregnant as a result of the crime committed against them. It only allows an exception for a woman experiencing a medical emergency.
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Once signed, the measure would take effect later this year. According to the organization’s spokesperson Progress Texas, Diana Gómez, the problem with the measure lies in a clause that allows “anyone” to sue someone who had to do with the abortion. A Texas doctor who performs or intends to perform an abortion can be sued and the plaintiff could recover up to $ 10,000.
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The House amended the bill to exclude rapists and people who commit incest against a woman from being able to sue doctors. As the measure was originally, it stipulated that “anyone” including rapists could sue their victims for having an abortion.
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