Texas Abortion Support Groups Vow To Keep Helping

Despite the new Texas law against abortion pills distribution, nonprofit abortion support groups will continue their work despite the potential legal battles. The law, known as House Bill 7, allows private citizens to sue individuals and organizations that help facilitate access to abortion pills prescribed from out of state, even though abortion is already illegal in Texas.

Set to take effect on December 4, HB 7 introduces a unique legal pathway for private lawsuits. It permits individuals to bring lawsuits against people who manufacture, distribute, mail, deliver, prescribe, provide, or possess abortion-inducing — including mifepristone and misoprostol — to Texans. The drugs, while outlawed for abortion purposes in the state, remain available from providers in other states via telemedicine and mail.

In a statement to the Texas Tribune, Ashley Leenerts, the legislative director for Texas Right to Life, said, “HB 7 is the strongest proposed tool to stop this crisis.” She added that the law “provides a new avenue to undermine anti-state laws and empowers women who are tragically targets of the abortion industry to hold traffickers accountable.” Texas Right to Life’s president, John Seago, echoed that sentiment, calling the law a potential “blueprint for the rest of the country,” as reported by KUT News.

But groups on the ground offering abortion-related support say they won’t be deterred. “Make no mistake: abortion funds aren’t going anywhere,” Texas-based abortion funds told KUT News. “Care is not a crime, and we refuse to cave to this harmful and unconstitutional legislation.”

These organizations often help Texans travel out of state to receive abortion care by offering information, funding, and logistical support. One such group, the Texas Equal Access Fund, says it does not pay for Texans to access abortion drugs through the mail, but could still be targeted under the new law.

“I’m concerned about that, because abortion funds are already underfunded and doing a lot on a shoestring budget,” said Kamyon Conner, executive director of the fund, in an interview with KUT NEWS.

Legal experts and advocates have raised concerns that HB 7 may go beyond organizations and discourage individuals from offering personal advice or support. Lauren Miller, a plaintiff in a legal challenge to Texas’ abortion ban, said she often hears from women seeking guidance after difficult pregnancy diagnoses. The new law, she warned, could make people think twice before sharing their experiences.

“When someone’s looking for an abortion or getting a devastating diagnosis, they’re often looking for resources,” Miller said. “People are going to be scared to offer that.”

HB 7 follows another law that took effect on September 1, which bans local governments from using public funds to support out-of-state abortion travel. Cities like Austin and San Antonio had previously set aside funding for such purposes.

While legal uncertainty looms, abortion funds say their mission, to offer Texans help with reproductive care, remains the same.