The Florida Home of Representatives on Thursday handed a six-week abortion ban that may exchange the state’s 15-week ban. The invoice now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has mentioned he would signal a six-week ban ought to or not it’s despatched to his desk.
The ban would prohibit all abortions after six weeks of being pregnant, earlier than most ladies know they’re pregnant. The ban makes exceptions for when the girl’s life or well being is in danger and circumstances of rape or incest, underneath sure situations. Even with its present ban in place, Florida has fewer restrictions in comparison with close by states.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at an occasion, April 6, 2023, in Hillsdale, Mich.
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The invoice handed by a vote of 70 to 40. It handed within the Senate final week.
There are 4 situations by which physicians can present abortions underneath the ban.
To offer abortion care underneath the regulation’s exceptions, two physicians must certify in writing that the termination of the being pregnant is important to save lots of the girl’s life or avert a severe threat of considerable and irreversible bodily impairment of a significant bodily perform of the pregnant lady, in line with the regulation. This doesn’t together with psychological situations.
If two physicians are usually not out there, one doctor must certify in writing that there’s a medical necessity for the reputable emergency medical process to save lots of the pregnant lady’s life or avert irreversible bodily impairment of a significant bodily perform and certify one other doctor just isn’t out there for session, the regulation states.
Abortions may also be permitted in circumstances the place the being pregnant has not progressed to the third trimester and two physicians certify in writing that the fetus has a deadly fetal abnormality, in line with the regulation.
The fourth situation in line with the regulation by which physicians can present abortions is that if the being pregnant is on account of rape or incest and the gestational age of the fetus just isn’t greater than 15 weeks, as decided by a doctor. On the time the girl schedules or arrives for her abortion appointment, she should present a replica of a restraining order, police report, medical report or different court docket order or documentation proving that she is a sufferer of rape or incest.
Physicians might be required to report incidents of rape or incest in minors to the central abuse hotline, in line with the regulation.
Solely physicians might be allowed to supply abortion companies.
Anybody who performs or actively participates in an abortion exterior these guidelines commits a felony of the third diploma. If the abortion ends in the loss of life of the girl, the crime turns into a second-degree felony.
Supporters of abortion rights march alongside the Eau Gallie Causeway, April 8, 2023, in the course of the “Shove Your 6-Week Ban” rally, in Brevard, Fla.
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Abortion drugs should even be disbursed in individual by physicians, prohibiting abortions over telehealth visits and prohibiting the supply of abortion drugs by mail. Physicians should even be bodily current in the identical room as the girl when the termination of being pregnant is carried out or when allotting abortion drugs.
The ban would go into impact if the Florida Supreme Courtroom upholds the 15-week ban, which is being challenged by the Heart for Reproductive Rights and different teams.
“Throughout the nation, pregnant persons are being pushed to the brink of loss of life as a result of they can not get an abortion,” Elisabeth Smith, director of state coverage and advocacy on the Heart for Reproductive Rights, mentioned in a press release. “But Florida lawmakers have rushed this harmful ban by the legislature with no concern for his or her residents and the way it will hurt them. This invoice threatens to finish abortion nearly solely amid a rising public well being disaster. If this ban takes impact, Floridians could be stranded in an unlimited abortion desert and compelled to journey over 1,000 miles to get an abortion.”
“Nobody ought to need to face that, and many individuals will be unable to make that journey,” Smith added.
New knowledge shared with FiveThirtyEight signifies that over 66,000 folks could not get an abortion of their residence state after the U.S. Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade final June. Florida, nevertheless, surged in abortions within the wake of the ruling with folks from different Southern states visiting, in line with the info.
In anticipation of the ban passing, abortion suppliers within the Florida advised ABC Information they’ve seen a flood of sufferers from different states.
“Actually each clinic session we’re seeing sufferers from different states. Each time I am within the well being heart, there’s a affected person — at the very least one if not a number of — from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, all around the Southeast, who traveled a whole lot of miles to get their well being care,” Dr. Sujatha Prabhakaran advised ABC Information.
In flip, it is created a domino impact the place ladies in Florida are unable to get appointments of their residence state.
“That implies that sufferers in these facilities are having to journey,” Prabhakaran mentioned. “They don’t seem to be in a position to entry care in a well timed method in their very own communities. So, then they’re having to journey additional south to entry care in Florida.”
ABC Information’ Rachel Scott and Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.
