A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging a provision of the Texas anti-abortion law that was signed last year.
“Having received the ruling of the Texas Supreme Court that named official defendants may not enforce the provisions of the Texas Heartbeat Act … this court REMANDS the case with instructions to dismiss all challenges to the private enforcement provisions of the statute and to consider whether plaintiffs have standing to challenge,” said the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in its ruling.
The U.S. Supreme Court in January declined to intervene regarding a provision of the law that allows private citizens rather than government officials to sue abortion providers or anyone else who assists a pregnant woman in receiving an abortion after six weeks. Litigants can file a lawsuit in any Texas court and are eligible for at least $10,000 in damages.