***UPDATE*** Committee hearing on HB 6, the House version of the medication abortion restrictions bill, will be heard Tuesday, July 13 at 1 pm by the House Public Health Committee. The hearing is in the Reagan Building — click here for Google maps directions. The Reagan Building is at the corner of 15th and Colorado on the northwest corner of the Capitol grounds.
Can’t be at the hearing on HB 6? Today through the end of the hearing you can submit public comment in opposition through the House public comment form online. Search for HB 6 and look for HB 6 by Klick under July 13.
Last week the Governor released his priorities for the special legislative session. They include Senate Bill 4 and House Bill 6, bills that will further restrict medication abortion and push this option out of reach for many young people in Texas. SB 4/HB 6 do the following:
- Limits the use of medication abortion from 10 weeks to 7 weeks of pregnancy.
- Prohibits the mailing of medication abortion drugs.
- Requires abortion providers to report on complications of subsequent pregnancies for any patient who chooses medication abortion.
- Makes violation of the law a felony with criminal penalties.
This attack on abortion will effectively block Texans from exercising their reproductive rights, and our clients will be among those hit the hardest.
Sample Testimony:
My name is _____________________ and I live in {CITY}. I am testifying in opposition to HB 6, which would create unnecessary restrictions on the use of medication abortion in Texas. Medication abortion is an extremely safe procedure with an over 99% safety record. Medication abortion also provides people with the option to end their pregnancy in the setting where they might feel most comfortable. For anyone who might need to keep their pregnancy and abortion private to protect their own safety, including young people and people experiencing domestic violence, medication abortion is often the preferred option.
HB 6 bans medication abortion after 7 weeks, further restricting the amount of time in which people will be able to access this option. SB 4 also prohibits mailing abortion medication. Many Texans live hundreds of miles from the nearest abortion provider, and the COVID-19 pandemic further revealed just how essential the ability to access medication by mail can be. This bill also requires abortion providers to report on any complications in subsequent pregnancies for patients who choose medication abortion. This is designed to make providing medication abortion logistically impossible and paint the procedure as more dangerous than it is. None of these restrictions provide any benefit.
Everyone deserves the ability to access abortion in the way that works best for them in a way that doesn’t interfere with safe medical practice. This is why I urge you to vote no on SB 4.
More talking points you might want to use:
- The restrictions in HB 6 are in direct opposition to the FDA’s guidelines on medication abortion.
- The provision in the bill that requires doctors to report on complications during subsequent pregnancies has already been declared unconstitutionally vague in a case out of Indiana.
- More than 2 million people in the United States have safely used medication abortion to end a pregnancy.
