Austin Fund Allots $100,000 for Nonprofit Helping Teens Access Abortion

As Austinites travel out of state for abortions, the city aims to offset costs (image via Getty Images)

In the face of two ongoing lawsuits against the city of Austin’s abortion fund, the city moved forward with allotting $100,000 on Thursday to a local nonprofit that helps teens access reproductive care.

“We are living in one of the country’s strictest abortion bans, and we are seeing fellow Texans die as a result of not being able to get proper medical care,” said City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, referring to recent ProPublica reports about the deaths of two Texas women who doctors refused to provide abortions to. “It’s really important that we at the local level continue to fight back for reproductive health.”

Founded in 2001, Jane’s Due Process helps pregnant teens obtain emergency contraception, secure out-of-state travel, and receive guidance through the judicial process. It’s the first organization to receive funding from the city’s new Reproductive Justice Fund. Fuentes created the $400,000 abortion fund with an amendment to the 2024-25 budget, which Council approved in August. Former Council Member Don Zimmerman and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed two separate lawsuits against the city arguing that the abortion fund is a misuse of tax dollars that violates the state’s abortion ban.

“Women’s health and what we do with our bodies has been a topic of conversation nationally, and it has been politicized,” Fuentes said. “So I wasn’t surprised by the lawsuit or efforts to continue to undermine our rights.”

Even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Austin stood at the forefront of the battle for abortion rights in Texas. In fact, the city previously partnered with Jane’s Due Process when Austin started its first abortion fund in September of 2019. This made Austin the second city in the nation, following New York City, to establish a “practical support fund.”

In 2021, Texas passed its strictest abortion ban yet, effectively ending Austin’s partnership with Jane’s Due Process and other pro-choice organizations. Many practical support funds across Texas ceased their work altogether when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. They started operations again in February 2023 when a federal judge placed an injunction on prosecutors going after abortion funds.

“Many anti-abortion attorneys that choose to take on and move forward with these cases aren’t operating under a good faith rule of law,” said Lucie Arvallo, the executive director of Jane’s Due Process. “It’s to instill fear into city governments and to [prevent] people from using that fund.”

Jane’s Due Process started as a volunteer network of attorneys. They ensure that young Texans have access to the full spectrum of reproductive care, including contraception, STI testing and treatment, abortion, legal guidance, and emotional support. Arvallo clarified that the nonprofit helps pay for all these resources except for the cost of the actual abortion to guarantee full compliance with the law. Austinites can get in contact with the nonprofit through their text hotline.

Arvallo said the average cost of supporting each client nearly tripled after the decision in Dobbs due to the shutdown of abortion clinics and increased travel costs, amounting to roughly $1,500. This cost includes travel and lodging for the client and their companion, meal assistance, translation services, and emotional support both pre- and post-operation.

The city stands firmly for abortion rights while the Zimmerman and Paxton lawsuits continue moving through the courts. $300,000 remains in the abortion fund, and Fuentes said the city will consider more organizations to partner with in January.

“There is a lot of uncertainty and fear around what does abortion access look like in Texas,” Arvallo said. “You are not alone. We’re not going anywhere, and you have a strong network of support.”