AUSTIN, Texas—Abortion-rights groups filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the constitutionality of key aspects of a Texas abortion law that gained national attention this summer following a lengthy filibuster by Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis.
Filed in federal court in Austin, the suit challenges some of the law's restrictions on abortion providers, including one scheduled to take effect next month that would require doctors who perform abortions to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. It seeks to block the law on the grounds that it infringes upon women's constitutional rights.
Many Texas hospitals are likely to deny admitting privileges for business reasons or because of political and moral objections to abortions, according to the groups that filed the suit. The groups claim the requirement could force at least one-third of the state's licensed abortion providers to stop performing the procedure.
"If this law goes into effect, there is no doubt it will end access to safe and legal abortion for many women," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, one of the groups that filed the suit on behalf of various physicians and medical clinics.
Supporters of the abortion law said it will improve women's health by ensuring that abortion doctors have ready access to nearby hospitals in case of an emergency. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a named defendant in the suit, didn't have an immediate comment, according to his press office.
"This requirement is about protecting the health and safety of women," said Joe Pojman, Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life, a group that backed the law. He called concerns that hospitals would deny admitting privileges to abortion doctors on moral grounds unfounded.
The groups that filed the Texas suit have filed similar lawsuits in Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wisconsin challenging admitting-privileges requirements. Courts in those states have temporarily blocked the laws but have yet to issue final rulings.
The Texas case is likely to be a topic of debate in the 2014 election to choose a successor for retiring Republican Gov. Rick Perry. Mr. Abbott is the leading Republican candidate for governor and is likely to square off against Ms. Davis, who is widely expected to announce next week that she will run for the office.
Ms. Davis declined to comment about the Texas suit or her political plans, a spokesman said. She gained national notice this summer after speaking for more than 11 hours in an effort to block the abortion law. The measure was eventually approved by the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature.
Write to Nathan Koppel at nathan.koppel@wsj.com
A version of this article appeared September 27, 2013, on page A5 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Groups Sue Over Texas Abortion Restrictions.
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