The new Texas anti-abortion law signed into law recently by Gov. Greg Abbott is one of the strictest in the nation.
It calls for a ban on abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected – as early as six weeks into a pregnancy – and puts in place a legal wrinkle not seen in other states that have passed similar legislation: Private citizens can sue abortion providers for violating the law.
Six-week bans have been passed in other states, but each has been held up in court as a violation of Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the right to an abortion until a fetus can live outside the womb – usually around 23 weeks.
