Statement on passage of Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol (SB 4)

AUSTIN – The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) congratulates the Texas House and Senate for passage of SB 4, the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol. The bill, which protects the health and safety of women by ensuring the FDA regulations for chemical abortion are codified in Texas statute, is now ready for Governor Greg Abbott’s signature.

“The leadership on SB 4 by Senator Eddie Lucio and Representative Stephanie Klick was exemplary,” said TCCB Executive Director Jennifer Carr Allmon. “We are grateful for their efforts. They have truly saved women’s lives by passage of this legislation.”

Senator Eddie Lucio (center) with advocates for SB 4. (Photo courtesy Senator Lucio)

The urgency of this legislation cannot be overstated, since the Biden administration suspended the FDA in-person dispensing requirement for the abortion drug mifepristone. In the absence of the safety regulations put in place by the Clinton administration, women will be at serious risk of complications such as hemorrhaging, infertility, or the eruption of an undetected ectopic pregnancy which is a life-threatening event. Moreover, abortions in Texas will increase due to the easy availability of the abortion pill.

TCCB staff, legislators and supporters of the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol bill (SB 4) gathered on Aug. 30 as the bill successfully moved through the Texas Legislature. (Photo courtesy Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops)

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops is the association of the Roman Catholic bishops of Texas. The TCCB represents 16 dioceses and 20 active bishops. Through the TCCB, the bishops provide a moral and social public policy voice, accredit the state's Catholic schools, and maintain archives that reflect the work and the history of the Catholic Church in Texas.