The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that substantially alters the landscape of reproductive health in the United States. As most observers expected, the ruling eliminates the U.S. Constitutional right to an abortion, and allows state legislatures complete latitude to decide an individual’s right to obtain an abortion.
Legislatures in some states, including Texas, have enacted legislation that is calibrated to restrict abortion access to the maximum extent permitted by the U.S. Supreme Court. In these states, abortion is banned and exceptions vary according to each state’s law.
The ruling opens the door to state legislation establishing draconian penalties for individuals and groups that provide physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual services to those experiencing an unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, the ruling could have cascading impacts on access to birth control; marriage equality; and other issues related to privacy and bodily autonomy.
This briefing paper explains the current state of affairs; summarizes Texas’ current laws related to abortion and the history of those laws; and provides additional contextualizing information.