Texas "trigger" law

Chapter 170A, Texas Health & Safety Code

This law contains a "trigger" provision that would take effect 30 days after federal law allowed individual states to prohibit abortions. The law prohibits almost all abortions. It became effective the summer of 2022.

Learn more in our FAQ Does Texas have trigger laws related to abortion?

Texas Heartbeat Act, Senate Bill 8

Subchapter H, Chapter 171, Texas Health & Safety Code

This law prohibits a physician from performing or inducing an abortion after a "fetal heartbeat" is detected. Learn more in our FAQ What does Senate Bill 8 say about abortions?

Abortion-inducing medications

Subchapter D, Chapter 171, Texas Health & Safety Code

This subchapter regulates the use of abortion-inducting drugs. It prohibits the use of abortion-inducing drugs on a patient whose pregnancy is more than 49 days (7 weeks) of "gestational age."

It also prohibits any person from providing any abortion-inducing drug by courier, delivery, or mail service.

20-week ban

Subchapter C, Chapter 171, Texas Health & Safety Code

This subchapter is known as the Preborn Pain Act, which prohibits abortion 20 weeks "post-fertilization."

Physician admitting privileges

Section 171.0031, Texas Health & Safety Code

This statute requires a physician performing an abortion to have admitting privileges at a hospital no further than 30 miles from where the abortion is performed.

Sonogram law

Subchapter B, Chapter 171, Texas Health & Safety Code

This subchapter requires a sonogram before an abortion is performed. The physician who will perform the abortion must provide a verbal explanation of the sonogram images.

The patient must also sign an election form stating they understand the nature and consequences of an abortion.

Women’s Right to Know Act

Chapter 171, Texas Health & Safety Code

Added in 2003, this chapter contains many of the abortion restrictions discussed on this page.

Parental notification

Chapter 33, Texas Family Code

This chapter restricts access to abortion for minors and requires physicians to give at least 48-hour notice to the parents of a minor before the abortion can be performed.

It also allows a "judicial bypass" in certain cases — see the Judicial Bypass Rules.

Criminal abortion laws before and after Roe v. Wade

Pre-Roe: Articles 1191 – 1196 of the Texas Penal Code. You can view these laws in the 1948 publication of the Texas statutes.

Post-Roe: Revised Civil Statutes, Articles 4512.1 – 4512.6

These Texas criminal abortion laws were at the center of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. In 1973, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Texas Legislature enacted a new Penal Code that became effective on January 1, 1974.

As part of this reorganization of statutes, the criminal abortion laws were moved to the Revised Civil Statutes, Articles 4512.1 – 4512.6.