In May, Texas passed the Texas Heartbeat Act, banning abortions after a doctor detects a fetal heartbeat, usually about six weeks after conception. (At that point, most women don't know if they are pregnant.)
And beginning on September 1, anyone successfully suing a clinic or other party that violates the Heartbeat Act will be awarded $10,000 for each illegal abortion.
From The Washington Post:
Abortion rights advocates and providers filed a federal lawsuit in Texas on Tuesday seeking to block a new state law empowering individuals to sue anyone assisting a woman with getting an abortion, including those who provide financial help or drive a pregnant patient to a clinic. A dozen states have passed laws banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.
…
"The state has put a bounty on the head of any person or entity who so much as gives a patient money for an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant," Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. "Worse, it will intimidate loved ones from providing support for fear of being sued."
Welcome to the Republic of Gilead Southern District, formerly known as Texas.
[image: Handmaid's Tale S02 E13 screenshot]
