Texas Abortion Bounty Law Challenge Can Proceed, Court Says

Planned Parenthood can challenge Texas’ bounty-like abortion law that offers private citizens $10,000 for reporting an unlawful termination, a state appeals court ruled Friday.

Because state lawmakers delegated enforcement under the unprecedented scheme, “private citizens who are threatening such enforcement are the appropriate parties to sue,” the Austin court said.

The decision from three Democratic justices makes no finding on whether the law is constitutional, but provides for an eventual answer in Planned Parenthood’s suit against Texas Right to Life.

The decision comes after the Texas Supreme Court in November 2024 told the lower court to determine standing in the ...