Child Safety Act would require internet providers block websites containing abortion information

Thank you all for joining us at five. I'm Keith Garvin. I'm Daniela Guzman, new at five o'clock, a Houston area state legislature has proposed a new law forcing internet service providers to block websites containing information on how to obtain an abortion or abortion pills. KPRC 2's Sian Rhodes joins us now with what else the bill is seeking in a ban and who would be impacted? Sian. Representative Steve Tooth of Conroe calls it the Women and Child Safety Act, but opponents call it an infringement on the First Amendment. Thank you all for joining us at five. I'm Keith Garvin.

I'm Daniela Guzman, new at five o'clock, a Houston area state legislature has proposed a new law forcing internet service providers to block websites containing information on how to obtain an abortion or abortion pills. KPRC 2's Sian Rhodes joins us now with what else the bill is seeking in a ban and who would be impacted? Sian. Representative Steve Tooth of Conroe calls it the Women and Child Safety Act, but opponents call it an infringement on the First Amendment. Republican state representative Steve Tooth has Right to Life listed as a top issue on his website, and he's now filed the latest piece of legislation aiming to regulate abortion in Texas. House Bill 2690 would ban websites that sell or advertise abortion medication and specifically calls out six groups that help people access abortion pills. In a series of tweets, one of those groups, Hey Jane, called the bill a blatant attack on freedom of speech and commerce. Republican state representative Steve Tooth has Right to Life listed as a top issue on his website, and he's now filed the latest piece of legislation aiming to regulate abortion in Texas.

House Bill 2690 would ban websites that sell or advertise abortion medication and specifically calls out six groups that help people access abortion pills. In a series of tweets, one of those groups, Hey Jane, called the bill a blatant attack on freedom of speech and commerce. Adding, HB 2690 is the first bill of its kind and reflects the extreme links that anti-abortion politicians will go to prevent even the knowledge of this safe, effective abortion treatment. The bill would also allow individuals to sue people who maintain those websites, make it illegal to fund someone to travel out of state for the purposes of taining an abortion, and criminalize those abortion funds that would help Texans get an abortion in another state. This is a very serious bill, and for people who are pro-choice, they better bring their A game to oppose it, Adding, HB 2690 is the first bill of its kind and reflects the extreme links that anti-abortion politicians will go to prevent even the knowledge of this safe, effective abortion treatment. The bill would also allow individuals to sue people who maintain those websites, make it illegal to fund someone to travel out of state for the purposes of taining an abortion, and criminalize those abortion funds that would help Texans get an abortion in another state. This is a very serious bill, and for people who are pro-choice, they better bring their A game to oppose it, because it's written in such a way as to take maximum advantage of recent Supreme Court decisions.

Seth Chandler, a professor with the University of Houston Law Center, says the bill could face legal challenges even before it's passed. Because this bill is more aggressive in the way it goes after information about abortion, it's going to bring people who care about the First Amendment or just care about profits into the picture. And this proposed new law comes as a decision could come down any day now in a case that was heard because it's written in such a way as to take maximum advantage of recent Supreme Court decisions. Seth Chandler, a professor with the University of Houston Law Center, says the bill could face legal challenges even before it's passed. Because this bill is more aggressive in the way it goes after information about abortion, it's going to bring people who care about the First Amendment or just care about profits into the picture. And this proposed new law comes as a decision could come down any day now in a case that was heard by a federal judge in Amarillo, whose ruling could ban the abortion pill across the U.S.

We did reach out to Representative Tooth, but a staff member said he was not available. Back to you guys. by a federal judge in Amarillo, whose ruling could ban the abortion pill across the U.S. We did reach out to Representative Tooth, but a staff member said he was not available. Back to you guys.

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