Abortion Pill Bill to Meet Newly Elected Opponents

The first bill of the Tennessee General Assembly’s upcoming session has been filed — and it seeks to further prevent access to abortion pills in Tennessee. 

Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) revived his own legislation, which in its current form would allow a spouse, parent or even a patient who used abortion medication to file a civil lawsuit against the profider (or deliverer) for the abortion of a fetus or the death or injury of a patient who took the medication. House Bill 1 is co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald).

Gino Bulso Files First Piece of 2027 State Legislation on Abortion Pills

The Brentwood Republican is reviving a bill that aims to allow for civil liability lawsuits related to the use of abortion pills

Earlier this year, Bulso explained that his intention with his previous version of the bill, which closely resembles HB1, was to  hold “out-of-state abortionists financially responsible” for sending pills into Tennessee. It is already a class-E felony to mail or deliver abortion-inducing drugs into the state under Tennessee’s 2022 “Tennessee Abortion-Inducing Drug Risk Protocol Act.” However, some states have shield laws in place that allow them to legally prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients living in states with bans in place.

When HB1 is debated in the Tennessee General Assembly early next year, it will face a different audience than it did on its first go-around. Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood reports that, following the Nov. 3 midterm elections, six Democratic candidates who support the right to abortion were able to flip historically Republican seats.

“The blue wave hit Tennessee, but we could not have done this without years of hard work by dedicated organizers and volunteers, our coalition partners, and these great candidates who will make amazing state lawmakers,” says Ashley Coffield, Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood board member.

One of those new lawmakers is Rep.-Elect Allie Phillips (D-Clarksville), a political newcomer whose campaign was inspired by and centered on her own adverse experience with Tennessee’s abortion ban. Phillips defeated incumbent Rep. Michael Lankford (R-Clarksville) for the House District 75 seat. 

“Her victory is another reminder that no community in Tennessee is out of reach when Democrats invest in organizing, show up, and give voters something to believe in,” says Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Rachel Campbell in a statement. “We are proud of Allie and look forward to continuing working alongside her to deliver real results for all working families in Clarksville.”

Other Democratic candidates who flipped state House seats include Connie Casha in Rutherford County’s District 49, Owen Farnsworth in Rutherford County’s District 34, Bryan Goldberg in Knox County’s District 18, Jesse Huseth in Shelby County’s District 97, and Brett Windrow in Rutherford County’s District 13. They all support abortion rights, according to Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood. 

Further limiting abortion access, which is already banned in nearly all cases in Tennessee, has been a recurring issue at the state level. Earlier this year, legislation that could classify abortion as homicide and make it punishable by death in some cases was struck down. In September, a 2024 Tennessee law seeking to prevent minors from traveling out of state for abortions was struck down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, citing a conflict with the First Amendment. A 2023 lawsuit from physicians and patients asking for clearer exceptions to Tennessee’s abortion ban still awaits its day in court. 

The first bill filed typically reflects the Republican supermajority’s focus and priorities for the session. In the 2023 legislative session, the first bill filed sought to ban gender-affirming care for youth — a successful effort from Republicans. The first bill filed in 2025 was the Education Freedom Act, which created a K-12 school voucher program allowing for the use of public dollars to go toward private schools. That also passed.

Medication abortion involves a two-drug regimen: mifepristone and misoprostol. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court restored access to mifepristone, blocking a ruling that threatened to restrict access nationally. The medication is also used in hospitals for pregnancy loss in some cases.