The Texas House has approved the “Woman and Child Protection Act,” a measure lawmakers say is aimed at cracking down on the growing flow of abortion-inducing drugs into the state.
Unlike earlier pro-life laws that shuttered abortion facilities, House Bill 7 by State Rep. Jeff Leach (R–Allen) is focused squarely on the rise of mail-order pills.
“This bill is about our future, fellow Texans,” Leach told colleagues as he laid out the legislation. “Specifically, they are unborn, but they’re alive, and they are worthy of our focus and our work here tonight. These fellow Texans have hands and feet… they have heartbeats and they have rights, and this bill is about protecting the rights of those fellow Texans and protecting their moms as well.”
Leach stressed that the version adopted was the result of months of negotiations between lawmakers and stakeholders, ranging from Texas Right to Life and the Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops to the Texas Medical Association and Texas Hospital Association. The outcome, he said, was a bill “carefully and meticulously crafted” and “compassionate to its core.”
He pointed to data showing that as many as 20,000 to 30,000 abortion pills are mailed into Texas each year, despite their illegality under existing state law.
“These pills not only terminate the life of the unborn child, they also wreak havoc on the mother’s body. These pills are dangerous,” said Leach. He explained that the bill shields Texas-licensed hospitals and physicians who remain in-state, as well as those who prescribe the drugs for legitimate medical purposes such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, or emergencies.
Enforcement comes through private lawsuits rather than state officials, continuing the model pioneered by the Texas Heartbeat Act. Successful plaintiffs can recover at least $100,000 per violation.
Leach emphasized that women themselves cannot be sued for obtaining or taking abortion pills, while individuals guilty of sexual assault, family violence, or coercion are barred from bringing lawsuits under the statute. The measure also includes provisions to block so-called “clawback” lawsuits from other states that attempt to punish Texans who bring enforcement actions.
Supporters say HB 7 builds on the Heartbeat Act and the state’s trigger ban following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. With abortion facilities already shut down, pro-life lawmakers argue the next front in the battle is the online pipeline of chemical abortions. Leach framed it as an effort to “meet the moment” and respond to the abortion industry’s new tactics.
“House Bill 7 works to target this activity directly—to stop those who are selling, distributing, and aiding the trafficking of these illegal abortion pills in Texas,” he said.
State Rep. David Lowe agued it did not go far enough. He said that “bills like this do everything but abolish abortion. They provide a way to say we’re winning on the issue while preventing it from being solved.” Lowe and State Rep. Brent Money, who has authored abortion abolition legislation, were shown “present, not voting.”
Speaker Dustin Burrows, who traditionally abstains from voting on legislation, was shown voting aye.
The bill is expected to be approved early next week by the Senate before being sent to the governor’s desk.
