Under Texas’s new abortion ban, known as the strictest of them all, ordinary people can file suit against anyone who helps someone they know of get an abortion, whether that be the clinic itself or those who transported a person to the clinic or doctor.
According to The New York Times, the provision passed the Texas State Legislature as part of a bill that bans abortions after a doctor detects a fetal heartbeat, which is usually at about six weeks of pregnancy. While many women often do not know they are pregnant during this time, states across the country have passed similar laws—however, Texas goes a little further. Instead of leaving enforcement up to government officials like other states, Texas has prohibited officials from enforcing the law and has the power to anyone including those outside of the state to sue those who violate it. In efforts to enforce its backward laws, Texas is even rewarding those who report these abortions with at least $10,000 per abortion reported.