AUSTIN, Texas — On May 21, 2025, the Texas Legislature approved Senate Bill 31, known as the “Life of the Mother Act,” aiming to clarify medical exceptions under the state’s near-total abortion ban. The bill, which passed the House with a 134-4 vote after unanimous Senate approval, now awaits Governor Greg Abbott’s signature.
Introduced by Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), SB 31 seeks to provide clearer guidelines for physicians on when abortions are legally permissible to save a pregnant patient’s life. Specifically, it states that doctors cannot face criminal charges for performing an abortion in a medical emergency that could cause death to the mother. The bill also defines a “life-threatening” condition as one capable of causing death, even if the danger is not immediate .
Texas’ abortion laws, among the strictest in the nation, currently allow the procedure only to save the life of the mother, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Physicians who perform illegal abortions face severe penalties, including up to 99 years in prison and fines up to $100,000. The ambiguity of existing laws has led to confusion among healthcare providers, resulting in delays or denials of care in critical situations. SB 31 aims to address these concerns by offering more precise legal definitions .
While the bill has garnered bipartisan support, some lawmakers and advocates argue that it does not go far enough. Critics point out that the legislation does not expand abortion access or include exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or severe fetal anomalies. They also express concern that the bill may not provide sufficient legal protection for doctors making urgent decisions in complex medical scenarios .
The passage of SB 31 comes amid ongoing legal challenges to Texas’ abortion laws. In the case of Zurawski v. State of Texas, several women sued the state, claiming they were denied necessary medical care due to the restrictive laws. The Texas Supreme Court upheld the state’s abortion bans in May 2024, but the case highlighted the real-world implications of the legal ambiguities that SB 31 seeks to clarify .
Governor Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law, reinforcing Texas’ commitment to its stringent abortion policies while attempting to provide clearer guidance for healthcare providers. The effectiveness of SB 31 in alleviating medical and legal uncertainties will be closely monitored as its implementation unfolds.
