Dear John,

Texas lawmakers are advancing SB 31/HB 44, a dangerous bill that would allow the state to prosecute abortion funds, helpers, and even patients. This is not about protecting health—it is about control, fear, and criminalizing essential care. We have seen this playbook before, and we know anti-abortion lawmakers will not stop at making care inaccessible; they want to punish those who seek and provide it.

The consequences of this strategy are already unfolding. Last month, a Texas midwife and her colleague were arrested for allegedly providing abortion care. Midwives, who have long been central to reproductive health, are often the first targeted by restrictive policies. The arrest of a Latina midwife serving a Spanish-speaking, immigrant community is a direct attack on those already facing systemic barriers to care.

At Physicians for Reproductive Health, we recognize the vital role of midwives, doulas, nurses, and doctors in ensuring compassionate, holistic care. Laws like SB 31/HB 44 do nothing to protect patients; instead, they create unnecessary risks, instill fear, and isolate those most in need of care.

Abortion is essential health care. It must be safe, accessible, and free from punishment or surveillance—whether in clinics, communities, or at home. We will not be silent while providers and patients are criminalized. What happens in Texas doesn’t stay in Texas—laws like this set dangerous precedents nationwide.

Now is the time to act. Speak out, contact your legislators, and demand an end to these unjust attacks on reproductive health care.

Thank you for partnering with us in this fight.

Sincerely,