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Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed into law a bill that would outlaw abortions in Texas if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.
The measure, House Bill 1280, would make it a second-degree felony to perform or try to perform an abortion, and would take effect 30 days after an applicable court ruling.
Under the bill, if the fetus dies, the penalty would be upgraded to a first-degree felony with the potential for a life sentence. Abortion providers who violate the ban also could lose their license and face fines of at least $100,000.
The law includes no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest, and only narrow exceptions for pregnant women who face medical emergencies.
The bill came from state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, and was carried in the Senate by McKinney Republican Angela Paxton.
The signing comes just a few weeks after the Supreme Court agreed to take up a Mississippi law that bans nearly all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. The court said it will hear arguments this fall.
It also follows Abbott’s recent signing of a contentious bill that bans abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat, which is as early as six weeks. That measure is set to take effect Sept. 1.