Texas lawmakers advanced HB 7, the Woman and Child Protection Act, on August 25, targeting abortion pill manufacturers and distributors.

The legislation allows lawsuits of up to $100,000 against anyone who mails or produces abortion drugs in the state. The House State Affairs Committee voted 8-4 to send the bill to the House floor.

The move follows aggressive enforcement by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. On August 22, Paxton issued cease-and-desist letters to three organizations—Her Safe Harbor, Plan C, and an Aid Access affiliate—accused of illegally mailing mifepristone and misoprostol into Texas. Paxton cited the 1873 Comstock Act, the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and state abortion bans, warning that violations could result in full legal prosecution. One provider reportedly shipped over 19,000 abortion pills into Texas annually.

Recent lawsuits highlight the human cost of these shipments. In July, a Texas man sued a California doctor after abortion pills mailed to his girlfriend caused the deaths of their two unborn children. Another woman filed a wrongful death suit against the father of her child for allegedly administering abortion drugs.

Pro-life leaders, including the Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops, worked with lawmakers to refine HB 7. The final bill caps damages for unrelated plaintiffs at $10,000, with the remaining $90,000 going to charity, bars convicted abusers from filing suits, and adds privacy protections for women’s medical information.

These actions come as Massachusetts has expanded its “shield law,” allowing abortion providers to prescribe and ship abortion drugs into pro-life states.

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