How many visits should I make to an abortion provider? Texas law requires you to make at least two trips to the abortion provider. The state requires that you undergo an ultrasound and receive state-prescribed documentation about medical risks, adoption alternatives, and stages of fetal development. (Some of the information in these documents is incorrect.) The state also requires you to wait 24 hours after receiving the ultrasound and state-prescribed documents before having your abortion performed. This 24-hour waiting period can be waived if you live 100 miles or more from the nearest abortion provider. Thousands of Texans received state abortions within four months of Texas` strict abortion law going into effect on Sept. 1, according to a new study by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) at UT Austin. While the law does not provide a legal pathway for abortion claimants, it could reduce law enforcement efforts. According to a press release explaining the law, this is a policy recommendation that calls for the following: Still, the resolutions will have “limited effectiveness” for those who offer abortions, Sepper said, and Vela admits that providers are unlikely to return to Austin under the state`s current laws. How far can I abort during pregnancy? Under SB 8, the state of Texas prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of medical emergency.
The law does not provide exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Is abortion legal in Texas? Yes. You have the constitutionally protected right to decide if and when you become a parent, including the right to terminate a pregnancy. While Texas cannot directly ban abortions, the state may impose certain restrictions. Restrictions on abortions in Texas generally make it more difficult or more expensive. AUSTIN, Texas —- The Austin City Council unanimously passed the GRACE Act, designed to protect access to abortion, on Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal protections. The resolution prevents urban funds from being used to gather information for the state from women seeking abortions and their health care providers. He also called on law enforcement agencies not to prioritize state criminal laws regarding abortion and other reproductive health care measures. Local governments in two Texas cities have voted to order police to deprioritize the enforcement of abortion crimes under state law. Earlier this year, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 8, which came into effect on September 1, 2021.
The law prohibits abortion at the sixth week of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest. The Texas ACLU and its partners are currently challenging this unconstitutional law in court. In an effort to keep Texans informed of their right to abortion, we will update this information when the lawsuit goes to court. Please check back regularly. However, the resolutions do not legalize abortion in cities and do not provide protection from law enforcement at the state level. Can I still get pregnant if I have an abortion? Yes. Abortion has not been shown to cause complications in subsequent pregnancies, and there is no scientific evidence that abortion is associated with infertility. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Paxton, the attorney general, have repeatedly signaled their commitment to restricting access to abortion in the state. The resolution will protect Austinites from criminalization under Texas` “trigger law,” which will go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court releases the decision. The law prohibits abortion at any stage of pregnancy unless the mother is at risk of losing her life or “important bodily function.” It also makes abortion a crime that can be punished up to $100,000 or life in prison. “Between September and December 2021, an average of 1,391 Texans per month underwent abortions at these outstate facilities, with monthly totals ranging from 1,330 to 1,485,” the researchers wrote. Most went to Oklahoma or New Mexico.
The city of Austin is trying to protect its residents from prosecution under a Texas law that would criminalize nearly all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overthrown – the first push by a major city in a red state to try to circumvent the state`s abortion policy. Kari White, an associate professor at UT Austin and a senior researcher at TxPEP, said the law “has done nothing to change the need for abortion treatment” in Texas. Last May, Austin City Council spokesman José Vela told The Hill: “[The GRACE Act] does not directly stop law enforcement, but it significantly limits the ability of the city or staff to gather or present evidence for prosecution. It also prohibits preventive surveillance of individuals or anything related to suspected abortions, with the exception of a few limited exceptions such as coercion or violence. The Trigger Act will make the execution, initiation or attempted abortion in which “an unborn child dies as a result of the crime” a first-degree crime punishable by life imprisonment of up to $10,000. It contains only one exception to save the life of the pregnant person. SB-8 bans abortions after about six weeks and allows for civil lawsuits, giving every private citizen the option to sue abortion providers up to $10,000 plus administrative fees. It was called the “law of the bounty”.
Is it considered “aid and encouragement” under Texas law if I donate to a Texas abortion fund? Giving money is a protected First Amendment activity. While it`s not possible to guarantee that people who try to enforce sb 8 won`t take legal action against Texans donating to a Texas-based abortion fund, the risk of liability is very low. Q. If I can`t get an abortion in Texas, where can I go? City officials responsible for implementing the policy must now ask local law enforcement agencies to investigate other crimes, such as vandalism, before investigating crimes related to the state`s abortion bans. Protesters gather outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on October 2, 2021, against anti-abortion and voter suppression laws. | Montinique Monroe/Getty Images Austin`s proposal, which aims to protect both patients and providers, is an extension of the city`s efforts to maintain access to abortion despite state restrictions. The city, for example, has been providing logistical support for abortion access since 2019, including transportation, housing and child care — a model St. Louis now wants to emulate.
“Chartered cities have tremendous leeway and self-government, and part of that is deciding which laws you`re going to prioritize,” Oliver said. “And because you have a limited number of resources in a limited budget, cities are constantly deciding which laws they will enforce and which they won`t. A few days later, Paxton filed a lawsuit against the White House guidelines, saying it “compels hospitals and doctors to commit crimes and risk their license under Texas law.” The Biden administration issued guidelines last week suggesting that federal law requires doctors to perform abortions in an emergency, regardless of state laws. Hospitals that do not comply risk losing their Medicare and Medicaid status. The new resolution does not explicitly decriminalize abortion, but orders police to make it their lowest enforcement priority to circumvent conflicts with state law, Vela said. But it highlights the tension between the red state and the blue cities, where a new front is opening up in the fight for abortion rights as the Supreme Court prepares to make a decision on Roe in the coming weeks. Is abortion covered by my health insurance? No, unless you have separate abortion insurance. As of December 1, 2017, Texas law prohibits insurers from covering abortion as part of your comprehensive health insurance plan unless you need an abortion to save you from death or serious physical injury. Military and Medicaid insurance only cover abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening conditions. The Austin City Council passed a law Thursday to protect abortion rights, even as the state of Texas makes it harder to get the procedure.