This blog is part of our 89th Legislative Session Recap series. Click here to learn more about how the bills passed this session will affect you & your community.
Official Bill Caption
Relating to certain prohibited transactions and logistical support between a governmental entity and an abortion assistance entity or abortion provider for the procurement of an abortion or related services.
What it Does
SB 33 prohibits cities and counties from using public funds for practical support services related to abortion. This includes essential services such as travel, lodging, meals, and childcare that help individuals access legal abortion care outside of Texas.
SB 33 allows the Attorney General to sue anyone within a governmental entity who attempts to violate SB 33. Conversely, it prohibits defendants from being awarded court costs and attorneys’ fees, even if they are found not to have violated the law. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.
Why it Matters
Given that abortion is now completely banned in Texas, SB 33 serves as an additional barrier for those who must overcome financial and logistical obstacles to leave the state for legal medical care. Everyone, no matter the zip code they live in, the color of their skin, or immigration status, deserves access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Yet we know SB 33 will especially impede individuals with low incomes, young people, communities of color, and rural residents from exercising their basic rights and obtaining time-sensitive healthcare.
SB 33 is an outrageous escalation in the state’s relentless campaign to control our bodies — even beyond state lines.
What’s Next
Texans do not want abortion bans. In Amarillo, voters united to reject a 2024 local ballot initiative that would have banned travel on local roads to receive legal abortions out of state. Together, we can defeat anti-abortion lawmakers at the ballot box, at the Capitol, and beyond.
