AUSTIN, TEXAS — Today, Texas Republicans passed the most extreme abortion restriction in the United States, while callously rejecting every single Democratic amendment designed to protect Texas women from preventable deaths. House Bill 7 establishes an unprecedented bounty hunter system targeting abortion medication that goes far beyond any legislation attempted anywhere in America.
HB 7 allows private citizens to sue anyone who "manufactures, distributes, mails, prescribes or provides" abortion medication for a minimum of $100,000 and creates a slush fund system where bounty hunters can direct nearly all their winnings to extremist organizations. The bill targets websites, apps, and even factual medical information, turning Texas into a surveillance state where neighbors can profit from reporting family members or strangers for seeking lifesaving care.
The bill includes an extraordinary provision stating it cannot be challenged in Texas state courts, a mechanism that represents an unprecedented assault on the separation of powers and Texans' constitutional right to seek redress in their courts. This provision, combined with one-sided fee-shifting that prevents defendants from recovering legal costs even when they win, creates a system designed to bankrupt anyone who dares to help Texas women.
“This law will kill Texas women, and Republicans know it,” said Texas House Minority Leader Rep. Gene Wu. “This extremist legislation puts Texas politicians in charge of women's medicine cabinets while creating a surveillance state where your neighbors can profit from reporting your medical decisions. HB 7 turns our communities into hunting grounds for extremist vigilantes, offering $100,000 bounties to anyone willing to spy on women seeking lifesaving healthcare. This bill was written specifically to allow extremist organizations to enrich themselves while terrorizing innocent Texas women.”
This legislation will kill Texas women. Texas already faces a maternal mortality crisis, with deaths rising 56% since the state's abortion ban took effect compared to just 11% nationally. Sepsis rates during pregnancy complications have increased over 50%. Infant mortality has surged 12.7%, with an estimated 216 excess infant deaths in the first year after Texas's abortion restrictions. This new law will drive those devastating numbers even higher.
"This bill represents a clear and present danger to women's safety across Texas and the entire nation," said Texas Women's Health Caucus Chair Rep. Donna Howard. "By creating a bounty hunter entrapment scheme, HB 7 rewards vigilantes with massive payouts for targeting manufacturers, distributors, and providers in other states who serve Texas patients. This is another example of how Republicans are willing to change the rules when they can’t win otherwise, and is an obvious attempt to bypass Congress to undermine medication abortion access nationwide. House Bill 7 is a cruel piece of legislation that will make it even more dangerous to be pregnant in Texas."