[JURIST] A Texas law requiring doctors to get parental consent [JURIST report] for minors seeking abortions will take effect Thursday [KXAN Austin report] even though the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners [official website] hasn't finalized the specifics of how doctors should comply with it. The Texas Parental Consent Act [text] is one of many abortion laws that have been passed by state legislatures this term - indeed, the number of state laws restricting access to abortion is at its highest since 1999, when bans on late-term abortions took effect in several states. Several other states have also enacted parental consent requirements and three states have mandated abortion-providers to inform women that the fetus will feel pain during the procedure, despite inconclusive medical evidence and differing expert opinions on the matter. Anti-abortion activists have said they are also pushing lower courts to ban abortions in order to pressure the US Supreme Court [official website] to consider overruling the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade [opinion] decision. For example, South Dakota has developed a controversial "trigger" law that will immediately make abortions illegal in the state in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned. The Washington Post has more.