A new Texas law has introduced bounties for people who turn in information about women who get abortions done in the state.
In another crackdown on a woman's right to choose, people will receive $10,000 if they successfully report someone who 'aids or abets' a woman terminating her pregnancy.
The reward will be given to people after September 1 and will only be permitted for pregnancies that are terminated after six weeks.
Advert
That time frame was decided because that's when a heartbeat is usually first detected. However, it's also a very short time frame as some women don't discover they're pregnant for much longer.
Under the legislation, women will only be allowed to go through with an abortion after six weeks in the state in the event of a medical emergency.
Women who became pregnant through rape or incest must still go full-term with their baby.
Advert
The bounty won't target the actual woman who is pregnant, but instead allow for people to dob in those who assist her.
Pro-choice group Women's March has revealed the wording of the legislation means surgery providers, nurses, friends and others who facilitate an abortion will be targeted under the law.
They wrote on Twitter: "It's a cruel tactic meant to insulate TX from federal lawsuits. But let's be clear: it won't stop us from fighting back."
The bounty will also be given to people who don't even live in Texas as the state wants to have the whole country dobbing on their Texan friends and loved ones.
Advert
Professor Steve Vladeck of the University of Texas told The Washington Post: "It's a deeply cynical effort to both (1) chill conduct that ought to be constitutionally protected; and (2) provide cover for judges to find creative ways to dodge the merits of the constitutional challenge."
Planned Parenthood and other groups have filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas, arguing the proposed law is unconstitutional.
In a statement, the legal challenge states: "The Texas legislature's well-documented hostility to the rights of pregnant people has gone to a new extreme.
Advert
"Senate Bill 8 flagrantly violates the constitutional rights of Texans seeking abortion and upends the rule of law in service of an anti-abortion agenda."
They have also argued the bill violates a Texan's right to privacy and liberty, which was established in the landmark Roe v Wade case.
Other states have also tried to introduced so-called six-week 'heartbeat' bills, however many courts have stopped them from being enacted over claims they're unconstitutional.
Featured Image Credit: PA