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Today, we need all eyes on Texas. Anti-abortion extremists have leveled a new attack pointed at patients, providers, and those who support people in accessing an abortion.
SB 8/HB 1515 is an extreme and dangerous bill that would outright ban abortion in Texas at six weeks, before many even know they are pregnant. Six-week bans are not new. Hostile legislatures across the country have passed them before and each time they’ve been blocked by the courts.
What’s new and especially harmful about this bill: Instead of the state government enforcing the six-week ban, it gives individuals the undue authority to police other people’s health decisions through lawsuits against abortion providers and anyone else who helps someone access an abortion. Anti-abortion extremists purposefully crafted SB 8/HB 1515 this way, in an attempt to potentially make this ban the first to survive a court challenge.
As our movement grows stronger, anti-abortion extremists pay attention. This bill is a part of a larger, organized effort that targets all the creative tools abortion funds use to make abortion accessible, despite restrictions.
What happens in Texas does not stay in Texas. Texas is a testing ground for catastrophic anti-abortion bills, and anti-abortion extremists and legislators across the country are watching this fight. We will surely feel the implications of this attack across the country, and see this tried in other state legislative sessions. So we must show up in collective power to #StopSB8.
In solidarity,
Yamani Hernandez
Executive Director
What can you do?
- Donate to abortion funds in Texas and surrounding states: People in Texas still need abortions! And abortion funds need even more resources in this increasingly hostile environment.
- Listen to Texas funds: Lilith Fund created a quick guide on how to reach your State Representative, and weigh in with the Texas Speaker of the House.
- Show up on social media: Follow #TXDeservesBetter and #StopSB8
Donate to Texas Abortion Funds
“Combined with existing abortion restrictions in Texas, SB 8 will completely ban abortion for our callers, while also making our volunteers liable for ‘aiding and abetting abortion’, with a minimum charge of $10,000 for every abortion they help someone get.”
“With a host of hostile abortion bills advancing in Texas, CASN reaffirms both abortion as healthcare and the humanity of everyone seeking abortion care. SB 8 restricts abortion to the point of impracticality and directly threatens the rights and safety of both our callers and volunteers. Even as the Texas Legislature increases roadblocks to care, we stand with our Houston and Texas communities in providing compassionate practical and logistical support. At CASN, our motto is ‘We’ll get you there,’ and we mean it.”
“This bill is harmful to all of Texas and especially to our border community. We serve a number of individuals with documentation barriers and this bill destroys any pathway for them to receive the care they deserve. Our role as an abortion fund is to help people navigate and overcome the extensive and medically unnecessary restrictions Texas already has in place. To think that we and anyone who helps someone get an abortion in Texas can be sued by anyone in the US is unfathomable. This is a direct attack on us and the community we serve.
Este proyecto de ley es dañino para todo texas pero especialmente nuestras comunidades en la frontera. Nosotros servimos personas con barreras de papeles de inmigración y este proyecto de ley destruye la avenida para recibir el cuidado de salud que merecen. Nuestro papel como fondo de aborto es ayudar a las personas navegar las barreras médicas extensivas y innecesarias que Texas tiene en ley. A pensar que cualquier persona en Texas puede ser demandado por ayudar a alguien recibir un aborto de cualquier persona en el país es ridículo. Esto es un ataque directo a nosotrxs y la comunidad que servimos.”
Fund Texas Choice
Jane’s Due Process
“Young people in Texas need support with whatever reproductive health decision they choose—not shame or undue burdens. Most of our clients, if not all, are approximately 5 to 6 weeks when they contact us for help to get a judicial bypass. If SB 8 and HB 1280 were to pass it would mean that they no longer will be able to obtain an abortion because the judicial bypass process can take several weeks.” Irma L. Garcia, Client Services Manager
“Senate Bill 8 is a baseless attack on Texans seeking abortion, and on those of us who help them get their care. Not only does this bill ban abortion before most people even know they’re pregnant, it would allow anti-abortion extremists to harass and sue abortion funds — our staff, our volunteers, our donors — simply for supporting our fellow Texans. Abortion funds show up for our communities when our elected officials fail us, and this bill is designed entirely to stop us from doing just that.” Amanda Beatriz Williams, Executive Director
Stigma Relief Fund
Support Your Sistah (SYS)
Texas Equal Access Fund
“It’s outright shameful that anti-abortion politicians in Texas are putting their own ideology and agenda before the health and well-being of Texans and their families. Banning abortion is the most blatant afront to Texans’ ability to make their own decisions about their futures, and on top of that, politicians also want to punish the organizations and providers who help Texans get care. These extremists are relentless, but we’re ready to fight so that we can continue helping each other, the way abortion funds always have.” Kamyon Conner, Executive Director
“We already live in an abortion desert, and the passing of these harmful bills will further harm and criminalize our communities for seeking and helping each other access vital, life-saving care.”
