Texas has signed new legislation into law that bars access to abortion services after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which often occurs as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The signing of this bill has opened a new frontier in the discussion over reproductive rights, as the legislation could be used by other states as a road map to tighten control over access to abortion services. While the Supreme Court declined to stop Texas’ law, the majority of Justices said the decision is not based on any conclusion about its constitutionality and in no way limits the law being challenged in the future. The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit stating the Act “injures the United States by depriving women in Texas of their constitutional rights.”

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