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This is my little corner for all things social work. Here, I’ll share school projects, thoughts and discussions on social policy and legislation, and other work I create throughout my social work education. This space is a place for me to document what I’m learning, explore topics I care about, and watch my perspective as a future social worker continue to grow.
Tracking Project
This section follows my semester-long legislative tracking project required for my Policy Practice and Analysis class. In this blog section, I will explore developments surrounding Texas HB 7 and consider its impact through a social work lens.
Blog Post #1 — Tracking Texas HB 7 and Abortion Access
Reproductive rights have become one of the most divisive policy issues across the nation and are something I deeply care about. Living in Texas, I have become particularly interested in our state’s restrictive abortion policies and how they affect access to reproductive healthcare. For this blog, I will follow Texas House Bill 7 (HB 7), the Woman and Child Protection Act, and its continuing implementation and impact.
Passed by the Texas Legislature in 2025, HB 7 focuses on abortion-inducing medication. The law creates civil liability involving the manufacture, distribution, mailing, delivery, prescription, or provision of abortion-inducing drugs in violation of Texas law (Texas Legislature, 2025). Because abortion medication may be provided from outside Texas, the law also raises questions surrounding its enforcement across state lines.
I chose HB 7 because I want to understand what happens after restrictive abortion legislation becomes law. Rather than focusing solely on the political debate surrounding abortion, I am interested in how the law is enforced, challenged, and ultimately affects people’s reproductive healthcare and access.
This is particularly relevant to social work. NASW Ethical Standard 1.02, Self-Determination, requires social workers to respect and promote clients’ right to self-determination (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). At the same time, the NASW Code acknowledges that ethical obligations may conflict with laws and regulations and instructs social workers to responsibly address these conflicts. HB 7 therefore raises important questions about how Texas social workers can promote client autonomy while practicing within an increasingly restrictive legal environment.
Throughout the semester, I will follow HB 7’s enforcement, legal challenges, and other developments while examining their implications for social work practice.
References
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.
NASW Code of Ethics
Texas Legislature. (2025). H.B. 7, 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session.
Texas Legislature — HB 7
Blog Post #2
Texas HB 7: The Woman and Child Protection Act
Expanding Civil Enforcement of Abortion Restrictions in Texas
By Cora Cravey
The Problem
HB 7 was created in response to abortion medications continuing to enter Texas from out-of-state providers despite the state’s existing abortion restrictions. The law attempts to further crack down on the distribution of abortion medication, with legislative analysis estimating that approximately 2,800 Texans per month were receiving abortion-inducing medications from out-of-state sources. While supporters of HB 7 view this as an enforcement problem, this number also demonstrates the continued demand for reproductive healthcare among Texans. The law has raised concerns about access to care, especially for individuals who already face financial, geographic, transportation, or healthcare barriers.
What HB 7 Does
HB 7 expands Texas’s enforcement of abortion restrictions by specifically targeting abortion-inducing medications, including medications prescribed or provided from outside the state. The law:
- Restricts the manufacturing, distribution, prescribing, mailing, transportation, and delivery of abortion-inducing drugs involving Texas.
- Allows certain private individuals to bring civil actions against alleged violators.
- Allows financial awards of at least $100,000 per violation in qualifying cases.
- Includes exceptions involving medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage care, and medications used for purposes other than abortion.
Policy Strengths
Clear enforcement focus: HB 7 directly addresses abortion medications being provided or distributed across state lines, making the law’s intended purpose and enforcement approach clear.
Medical exceptions: The law does recognize that these medications have other necessary medical uses and provides exceptions for certain situations, including medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage care, and non-abortion uses.
Policy Weaknesses
Creates additional barriers to reproductive healthcare: HB 7 targets methods through which Texans have continued to access medication abortion. This may create even greater barriers for individuals who already have limited access to reproductive healthcare because of factors such as income, location, transportation, or availability of care.
Incentivizes private civil enforcement: Allowing private individuals to pursue large financial awards for reporting violations creates concerns about placing financial incentives around the enforcement of reproductive healthcare laws. This approach may also create fear and uncertainty for healthcare providers and others involved in providing care.
Creates conflict between states: HB 7 also attempts to address abortion medications provided from outside Texas, even when providers may be operating legally under the laws of their own states. This creates conflict between Texas law and states that have chosen to protect access to abortion medication.
Recommendations
Limit private civil enforcement: Texas should reconsider the use of large financial awards as an incentive for private individuals to enforce abortion restrictions. At minimum, stronger requirements for who can bring a claim, what evidence is required, and when someone can be held liable could reduce inappropriate or excessive litigation.
Strengthen protections for reproductive healthcare: HB 7 should provide clearer and broader protections for patients and healthcare professionals. These protections should ensure that the law does not interfere with medically appropriate care or the legitimate medical uses of these medications.
References
Texas Legislature. (2025). H.B. 7, 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session: Woman and Child Protection
Act.https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/892/billtext/html/HB00007F.htm
Texas House Research Organization. (2025). Bill analysis: H.B. 7, 89th Legislature, 2nd Called
Session.https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/892/analysis/html/HB00007H.htm
Texas Legislative Budget Board. (2025). Fiscal note: H.B. 7, 89th Legislature, 2nd Called
Session.https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/892/fiscalnotes/html/HB00007E.htm
