From 2011-2020, Ibis collaborated with researchers at University of Texas at Austin and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to evaluate the impact of policy changes related to the provision of family planning and abortion in Texas on providers and people seeking and obtaining reproductive health services.
With the launch of the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) in 2011, we began documenting the impact of HB 15, a law that required abortion clients to come for an ultrasound in-person at least 24 hours before an abortion. We continued to assess abortion experiences after the Texas Legislature passed HB 2 in 2013. HB 2 required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, required abortion providers to use an outdated protocol for medication abortion, required facilities to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers, and banned nearly all terminations at or after 20 weeks post-fertilization. Our work assessed changes in abortion numbers across the state, tracked clinic closures, and documented experiences among providers and people seeking abortion care. Evidence generated by the studies was used by advocates, policymakers, and lawyers to demonstrate the burden of these laws. In June 2016, the United States Supreme Court struck down the admitting privileges and ambulatory surgical center requirements in HB 2, citing TxPEP research findings in its ruling.