Kimberlyn Schwartz of Texas Right to Life says abortion providers are finding ways to get around the state's near-total ban on abortion, one of them being mailing abortion pills to Texas homes.
House Bill 7, the Woman and Child Protection Act, aims to combat that by empowering Texans to sue companies that sell abortion pills.
"Women who are harmed from abortion pills can sue the people who brought them here, those traffickers," Schwartz summarizes.
Successful plaintiffs would be awarded at least $100,000 in damages. Women taking abortion pills would not be eligible to be sued under the bill, nor would women who take them after miscarriages.
After nearly a year of work to create strong policy to stop "shield states" – liberal states that give safe harbor to any abortionists who break other states' laws – from meddling in Texas, she says this measure is an answer to prayer.
"Because we'd be in federal court and not state court, we can attack those shield laws," the pro-lifer explains. "Texans need a way to make sure that our children are protected, even from these bad actors in other states."
She says getting lawmakers on board with that effort was not easy, especially in the House. But ultimately, the Texas House and Senate approved the measure last week, and it will become law once Governor Greg Abbott (R) signs it, as he is widely expected to do.
"We are just praising and thanking God today," Schwartz tells AFN.
