Texas law bans abortion, except when a doctor, in their “reasonable medical judgment,” believes it is necessary to save the life or protect the health of the pregnant patient. Doctors have struggled to know when they can safely intervene without risking their medical license, as well as potentially up to life in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The guidance was criticized as both overly vague and overly prescriptive. At a stakeholder meeting in May, Steve Bresnen said the board shouldn’t “be afraid to start with a blank slate.”

  • protist@mander.xyz
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    4 months ago

    There is nothing that prevents a prosecutor in an individual county or an individual who wants to file a lawsuit to do so,” Zaafran said. “But my hope would be, and my strong recommendation would be, that any entities out there would defer to the actions of the medical board and its judgment when a complaint has come in as to whether something was appropriate or not.”

    At least we have hope.

    • gedaliyah@lemmy.worldOPM
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      4 months ago

      I think that may be why the doctors are reluctant to draft actual clear guidelines. They want to give as much protection as possible, but fear their guidelines will be given the force of law.

      Why should it be their responsibility to draft rules fixing terrible laws? Better to let the legislators sit in the pile they made or clean it up themselves.

      • protist@mander.xyz
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        4 months ago

        Unfortunately, every member of the Texas Medical Board has been appointed by Greg Abbott at this point, and he’s not appointing anyone who doesn’t share his extremist ideology. What we’re seeing here is just damage control in the form of public relations