- Published
- August 26, 2025
Austin, TX — Yesterday, the Texas House State Affairs Committee passed the committee substitute for HB 7, also known as the Texas Woman and Child Protection Act. With significant improvements made to the bill’s language, Texas Alliance for Life now supports HB 7, and we encourage members of the Legislature to vote for it in its current form, without amendments.
Texas Alliance for Life initially raised concerns that the introduced version of HB 7 would incentivize litigation by non-injured parties, essentially financial “bounty hunters,” unrelated to the tragic death of an unborn child. This type of litigation could make the bill unconstitutional relative to the Texas Constitution. We also shared concerns that it could create unintended harms for women by risking their privacy and distract from Texas’ mission as a pro-life state that prioritizes compassionate resources for women.
The committee substitute addressed those concerns. Among the changes:
- Restricting who may file suit, excluding abusers, those with family violence convictions, and others who could weaponize the law against women.
- Protecting women’s privacy, explicitly prohibiting disclosure of personal or medical information in court filings.
- Curbing financial incentives, limiting awards for non-injured parties, and directing most funds instead to charitable organizations.
- Strengthening accountability, ensuring that only injured parties — such as mothers or immediate family — can pursue full claims.
“It is already illegal to traffic abortion drugs in Texas under the Human Life Protection Act, and our priority remains enforcement of that and other laws,” said Amy O’Donnell, Communications Director for Texas Alliance for Life. “The revised version of HB 7 provides another tool against illegal abortion-by-mail while including vital protections for women. We are grateful to HB 7’s author, Rep. Jeff Leach, Sen. Bryan Hughes, who is expected to sponsor HB 7, and all who worked diligently with stakeholders to strengthen this bill.”
Texas Alliance for Life continues to stand for policies that both protect unborn babies from abortion and safeguard women from exploitation and harm.
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