How the Texas abortion law may actually be enforced
ABC News
How Texas' new abortion ban is enforced, and how it could play out in court.
Texas' new abortion ban is notable for several reasons -- chief among them how it is enforced. The statute, which is the most restrictive abortion law in the country, bars physicians from providing abortions once they detect a so-called fetal heartbeat -- technically the flutter of electrical activity within the cells in an embryo. That can be seen on an ultrasound as early as six weeks into a pregnancy -- before many women even know they're pregnant. There is an exception under the Texas law for abortions in cases of medical emergencies. The law -- which is enforced civilly, rather than criminally, by members of the public -- can potentially have very broad applications and could result in numerous lawsuits over one suspected illegal abortion, experts told ABC News. Here's a look at how the law, known as SB 8, might work in practice.More Related News