The Supreme Court issued its final judgment on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on Tuesday, the last procedural step to finalize the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
In Texas, the state’s trigger law HB 1280 is set to take effect at the end of next month, according to a new advisory by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“We now know with certainty that the act takes effect on August 25, 2022,” Paxton wrote.
The law prohibits abortions unless performed by a physcian who believes the patient is at risk of death or serious risk of losing a “major bodily function” without an abortion.
Anyone found breaking the law, which makes no exception for rape or incest, could face a $100,000 civil penalty for each violation.
They would also be charged with a second degree felony for attempting an abortion, or a first degree felony if the abortion is successful.
This means attempting an abortion could result in a sentence of two to 20 years in jail, and a successful abortion could lead to no less than 5 years and up to a life sentence in jail.
Lastly, any physician who performs an abortion would lose their license to practice.
Texas is one of 13 states with abortion trigger laws. At least 26 states in total are set to move to ban aborton after the overturning of Roe. At least 26 states in total are set to move to ban aborton after the overturning of Roe.
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
