The Texas Circuit Court of Appeals canceled a hearing on a new abortion law Friday just days before it was scheduled to take effect.
The Texas law banning abortion after signs of a fetal heartbeat was set to go into effect Wednesday, but the Monday hearing about the law was canceled, the Texas Tribune reported. (RELATED: Appeals Court Upholds Texas Ban On Abortion Procedure)
Texas’ new abortion law — which would ban the procedure after six weeks — is set to go in effect Wednesday.
Here’s what the law will do if it takes effect:https://t.co/DLb4mZXxbX
— Shefali Luthra (@shefalil) August 30, 2021
After the hearing was canceled, several abortion-provider groups, including Planned Parenthood, were hoping to persuade an Austin federal court to stop the law from taking effect, according to a report from the Texas Tribune.
Abortion-provider groups wanted the law overturned because they claimed that it was “the nation’s strictest law” on abortion.
They added that the law did not specify a time frame, which would make it difficult for women because a fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks into a pregnancy — before some women even realize they are pregnant, according to the Texas Tribune.
Attempts have also been made to request the 5th Circuit Court either put the law on hold with a stay or send it back to district court, which would temporarily block enforcement of the law, but both requests have been denied, Fox News reported.
“If this law is not blocked by September 1, abortion access in Texas will come to an abrupt stop,” Marc Hearron, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement, according to the Texas Tribune.