Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a new abortion measure into law last week, severely limiting abortion access in the state. Senate Bill 4 — which was adopted by the Texas Legislature during the special session that concluded on Sept. 2 — prohibits the use of abortion-inducing medicines in the state beyond seven weeks of pregnancy.

The bill also makes anyone who breaks the law “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” face criminal charges. A state jail felony with fines of up to $10,000 and a sentence of 180 days to two years in prison would be the penalty for such an act. Senate Bill 4 will go into effect in December.

Abbott signed Senate Bill 4 less than a month after another contentious abortion measure — dubbed the “fetal heartbeat bill”— went into force in the state.

Abbott signed the bill in May, making abortion illegal once a fetal heartbeat is discovered, which may happen as early as six weeks into pregnancy. Most private people are also allowed to initiate lawsuits against anyone who they think is violating the new law.

On Monday, a Texas doctor was sued for administering an abortion in violation of the fetal heartbeat bill, marking the first court action to challenge the legality of the stringent, divisive legislation.

A San Antonio physician, Alan Braid, claimed he conducted the abortion five days after the legislation took effect because he felt he owed “a duty of care to this patient.” An emergency plea from abortion providers to overturn the legislation was denied by the Supreme Court earlier this month.