Republican lawmakers in Florida introduced legislation to ban most abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
If passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, a ban drastically restricts access to the procedure in the southern United States.
Florida’s Abortion Ban
State Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, and state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers, submitted the legislation on the first day of the session as DeSantis prepared to make his State of the State address.
The measure, according to Grall, will make Florida a beacon of hope for people who recognize that life is sacrosanct and must be safeguarded.
The plan contains exceptions for rape and incest within the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. It also provides exceptions for medical circumstances that threaten the mother’s life or cause her substantial injury.
The laws, which were introduced on the first day of the legislative session in 2023, make exceptions for rape and incest, but not for the life or health of the pregnant person.
Republicans in Florida, including Governor Ron DeSantis, have signaled their desire to further restrict abortions in the state following the passage of a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest, last year.
This would allow people one week to visit an abortion clinic twice within 24 hours of each other. In April, Florida’s 24-hour waiting time regulation went into force. Schickler stated that it takes approximately 20 days for a Planned Parenthood patient in Central Florida to complete both of their appointments.
For medical emergencies, the law requires that two physicians certify in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life or prevent a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function other than a psychological condition
If a fatal fetal anomaly is diagnosed and the pregnancy has not reached the third trimester, abortions would also be permitted.
Charge For Violating The Law
Anybody who deliberately performs or actively participates in an illegal abortion could be punished with a third-degree crime.
The six-week ban would go into effect 30 days after the state Supreme Court rules on whether the state constitution protects the right to an abortion. The court, which has become increasingly conservative, is revisiting a previous case that established the state’s privacy clause guarantees abortion rights.
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo voiced her support for the bill, stating that it builds on Florida’s strong track record of safeguarding the most vulnerable, particularly unborn children.
Speaker of the House Paul Renner called for the defense of the right to life.
The vastly outnumbered Democratic legislators stated that the plan amounts to a total ban on abortion and vowed to oppose it. Lauren Book, leader of the Senate Democrats, stated that victims should not be required to report a rape or sexual assault in order to obtain an abortion.
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