Federal Appeals Court Upholds Strict Abortion Law In Texas
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in favor of stricter regulation aimed at abortion clinics in Texas. The decision was in response to a legal challenge by groups who argue the new rules are unconstitutional.
The response by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was the second defeat for reproductive rights groups who argue the rules severely restrict a woman's access to abortion.
House Bill 2, originally passed by the Texas legislature in 2013, requires costly facility upgrades at clinics where abortions are preformed and mandates that physicians preforming the procedure have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. About two dozen Texas clinics unable to meet the requirements have since closed.
The ruling will allow full implementation of the Texas law as of July 1. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked parts of the law last October pending today's decision.
The Fifth Circuit made an exception for a physician in McAllen who won't have to meet the admitting privilege requirement. It also exempted construction requirements for the clinic where he works. Opponents of the Texas law had argued clinic closures would hurt women living on the border the most, forcing them to travel hundreds of miles to seek abortion services.
Supporters say the stricter rules will make abortion safer even though medical studies show that major complications after an abortion are rare. Attorneys representing a coalition of Texas clinics now plan to take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
