Senate advances House Bill 7 to create civil liability for distribution of abortion-inducing drugs

The Senate on the floor took up and passed third reading of House Bill 7, a measure that would allow private civil suits against people and companies that manufacture, ship or distribute abortion-inducing medications into Texas for the purpose of causing an abortion.

The bill’s author, Senator Hughes, told the chamber the measure is aimed at “little unborn babies” and at accountability for manufacturers and distributors he described as “Big Pharma” exploiting legal loopholes. Hughes said the legislation creates civil liability analogous to product-liability claims under state long-arm jurisdiction and that companies “will be held accountable.”

Supporters framed the measure as a consumer-safety and accountability statute. Hughes cited recent analyses he said show higher-than‑reported complication rates from medication abortions and argued Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safeguards that once required multiple in-person visits have been relaxed. He referred to a study of insurer claims he described as covering “865,727…