As of September 1, 2021, abortion is illegal in Texas once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The Texas Heartbeat Act prohibits abortion when there is a detectable heartbeat, which may be as early as 6 weeks into a woman's pregnancy. Before this, elective abortions were allowed up to 20 weeks post-fertilization.
What is the new abortion law in Texas?
On , Abbott signed Senate Bill 4, which bans any person "from providing an abortion‑inducing drug to a pregnant woman without satisfying the applicable informed consent requirements for abortions," which includes providing the drugs to women seven weeks into a pregnancy.