Florida poised to institute six-week abortion ban

(The Center Square) – Florida is poised to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, needing only the signature of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis who favors the bill passed by the Legislature on Thursday.

The House of Representatives voted 70-40 in favor of Senate Bill 300, authored by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce. Senators favored it 26-13 on April 3. DeSantis’ signature on the legislation would replace a law banning abortions after 15 weeks.

There were 48 failed votes in the House on Thursday to amend the legislation before the final vote. There were two amendments passed in the Senate before crossover to the House, and 14 others that failed.

The expected new law will continue a pattern in the South in response to last June’s overturn of Roe v. Wade, which placed authority back with states. Abortion is banned at all stages of pregnancy in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi; in Georgia, it is when a heartbeat is detected, or about six weeks.

The bill replaced a similar measure, House Bill 7.

“Today, the Florida House stood up for the lives of unborn boys and girls who deserve the chance to live life, find love, and enrich the lives of others,” House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said in a release.

The prospective law says, in addition to prohibiting abortions after six weeks of gestational age as determined by a physician, there are exceptions for the life of the mother and fatal birth defects. Those provisions are retained from existing law. The law would also add new exceptions for women who are the victims of rape, incest or human trafficking.

SB300 requires abortion-inducing drugs to be dispensed in a person by a physician and institutes a ban on the use of telemedicine for abortions. Also banned would be the use of state funds to pay for travel out of state for an abortion.

It would also provide additional funding to the Florida Pregnancy Support Services Program, which provides counseling services, educational materials and classes on pregnancy, parenting and adoption along with life skills and employment readiness.

DeSantis has said he welcomes “pro-life legislation” when asked about abortion policy. He is expected to announce candidacy for the White House in about a month, after the session ends in May.