Students for Life Action Testifies in Support of WV “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act,” Continues Pro-Life Push in Defense of Women Exposed to Abusers


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February 2, 2026

The Students for Life Action-Inspired Legislation Would Impose Criminal & Civil Liabilities on Chemical Abortion Pill Vendors Sending Mail-Order Abortions Across State Lines in Violation of West Virginia’s Pro-Life Laws  

 

“A reckless Chemical Abortion Pills pushing policy exposes mothers to abusers, who use the deadly drugs against them without their knowledge or consent. This also supersizes the risk of injury, infertility, and death for women taking Chemical Abortion Pills all alone and without help. Add to that the environmental harms from chemically tainted blood and placenta tissue, along with human remains, all flushed into West Virginia’s waterways, and we have a perfect storm of disaster,” said Students for Life’s Hawkins. “This bill will target the new abortion cartels, operating in West Virginia, and pocketing money made from human tragedy.” 

  

CHARLESTON, W.V. (02-02-2026) – Students for Life of America (SFLA) West Virginia State Captain Thomas Dinkel, along with two other SFLA students, testified today at the West Virgina statehouse in support of the Students for Life Action (SFLAction)-inspired “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act” (SB173), introduced by Senator Chris Rose, as part of an SFLAction-led effort to address the nation’s most widely used method of abortion today. “The ease and anonymity of online abortion pill distribution creates opportunities for abuse, coercion, and exploitation, particularly in cases involving domestic violence, sex trafficking, or human trafficking,” said Dinkel. “West Virginia is a pro-life state. Our laws reflect our values, our culture, and our commitment to protecting both women and preborn children. If we are serious about upholding the rule of law and safeguarding vulnerable populations, we must address abortion pill trafficking.”  

If signed into law, the “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act” would make prescribing Chemical Abortion Pills illegal, including by out-of-state abortion vendors who mail the deadly pills across state borders. 

Dinkel detailed to the committee his SFLA-assisted investigation to document how easily Chemical Abortion Pills could be ordered online and shipped into the state. Without ever being asked his age, sex, or whether he was pregnant, Dinkel was shipped 30 Chemical Abortion Pills. “Upon further research, we discovered that this quantity could be used to induce up to four abortions,” said Dinkel. “Alarmingly, there were no clear medical instructions included regarding dosage or timing. Someone without medical knowledge could easily misuse these drugs, resulting in serious harm. At no point in this process was there any medical oversight or legal accountability.”  

Youth voters agree with Dinkel in a new Students for Life’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement poll released in January 2026 and conducted by Survey USA, with 92% believing it is somewhat to extremely important to have ultrasound screening to protect women’s lives when exposed to Chemical Abortion Pills — an essential medical practice missing in these at-home Chemical Abortions. Plus, half of youth voters support in-person dispensing requirements for Chemical Abortion Pills to protect women from abuse, with only 27% opposing such requirements.  

Chemical Abortions make up more than 60% of all abortions committed, with Chemical Abortion Pill vendors flaunting that they illegally target pro-life states. Mail-order abortions kill hundreds of thousands of children and seriously injure up to 1 in 8 mothers who use them, often at home alone, making this legislation especially important.  

West Virginia law limits abortion from conception, except in cases of sexual assault, incest, fetal nonviability, and medical emergency, putting it at the top of the list for Chemical Abortion Pill vendors who specifically target pro-life states.  

Here is what the “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act” will do in West Virginia:    

  • Prohibit mailing, shipping, or prescribing abortifacients, including out-of-state sources. 
  • Enforce damages of $10,000 for each abortion that the person or entity knowingly and willfully performed or attempted to perform. 
  • Reinforce state sovereignty over medical regulation.  
  • Provide remedies including injunctive relief in damages per violation, with no legal cap on rewards received, and recovery of court costs and attorney’s fees. The bill excludes convicted abusers, traffickers, and rapists from bringing such civil actions.  
  • Allow civil actions to be filed up to three years after the cause of action or one year after any legal stay is lifted.  

SFLAction is encouraging pro-life students and volunteers to join us in calling on the WV Senate Health and Human Resources and Judiciary committees to vote the “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act” forward, and on Senate leadership to push the “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act” forward for a floor vote.  

SFLAction is also encouraging support for another Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking bill, the SFLAction-inspired “Mother and Child Protection Act” sponsored by SFLAction champion Delegate Lisa White in the House & co-sponsored by SFLAction champion Sen. Patricia Puertas Rucker in the Senate. 

SFLAction’s push to get the “Anti-Chemical Abortion Pill Trafficking Act” introduced and passed is part of our larger Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap. Launched last November, this legislative package built upon the Gonzales v. Carhart case will help take down abortion at the state and federal level.  

  

TO LEARN ABOUT STUDENTS FOR LIFE ACTION’S “MAKE AMERICA PRO-LIFE AGAIN ROADMAP,” CLICK HERE.  

  

SFLAction has been extremely active in West Virginia throughout the past several years, educating voters and engaging lawmakers. During this past legislative session:  

  • SFLA/SFLAction student group visited West Virginia Senator Shelly Capito to support federal efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and other abortion vendors.  
  • West Virginia Watch took notice when Kristan Hawkins testified that the “Unborn Child Protection Act” in the Mountain State would make it easier to charge physicians and entities that send abortion medication to states where the procedure is not legal.   

 

For interviews, contact [email protected]. 

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The Pro-Life Generation (PLG) is an umbrella organization encompassing the most-cutting edge engagement opportunities for a Vote Pro-Life First Community. PLG includes Students for Life Action (SFLAction), a 501c4, along with its 501c3 sister organization, Students for Life of America (SFLA), that together make up the nation’s largest, pro-life youth organization, managing a grassroots political and policy operation engaging Americans of all ages but with a special emphasis on the largest segment of voters — the Youth Vote. Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, PLG/SFLA/SFLAction serves more than 1,400 groups on middle, high school, college, medical, and law school campuses in all 50 states. Our team has more conversations with this generation targeted by the abortion lobby than any other pro-life operation in the world, each week reaching more than 4 million across social media platforms and averaging 1.3 million video views. In addition to SFLA/SFLAction, PLG leads multiple initiatives to lead and serve the future of the pro-life movement including the Campaign for Abortion Free Cities, Standing With You, and the Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement. Over more than 17 years, PLG CEO Kristan Hawkins has grown the operation into a nearly $20M organization, now preparing for an abortion-free America. 

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