Florida Republicans Introduce 6-Week Heartbeat Abortion Ban

Republicans in the Florida House and Senate filed similar bills on Tuesday which would restrict abortion after six weeks of pregnancy — around the time when a baby’s heartbeat can first be detected.

State Sen. Erin Grall and state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka filed SB300 and HB7, which would expand the state’s current 15-week abortion ban that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last year. DeSantis has previously signaled that he would sign a six-week abortion ban.

“We’re for pro-life. I urge the legislature to work, produce good stuff, and we will sign,” DeSantis said during a news conference last month, adding that he is “willing to sign great life legislation.”

“That’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” DeSantis added.

The bills would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy except to save the life of the mother, fatal fetal abnormality in a pregnancy that has not progressed to the third trimester, and in the case of rape or incest before 15 weeks of pregnancy. The woman would also have to provide her physician a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation providing evidence that she is obtaining the termination of pregnancy because she is a victim of rape or incest. A physician would be required to report incidents of rape or incest involving minors to the central abuse hotline.

The legislation states that only a physician may perform or induce an elective abortion. Physicians in Florida would also be barred from using telehealth to perform an abortion. The law would require that only physicians dispense abortion pills in person — abortion pills “may not be dispensed through the United States Postal Service or by any other courier or shipping service,” according to the bill’s text.

The bill would additionally ban government entities and educational institutions from using state funds to help a woman travel to another state “to receive services that are intended to support abortion.”

But besides narrowing the window for when women can get abortions, the bill would boost support for pregnancy centers across the state that provide pregnant women with much-needed resources. Under the bill, the Florida Department of Health would contract with Florida Pregnancy Care Network, Inc., a not-for-profit statewide alliance of pregnancy support organizations “that provide pregnancy support and wellness services through a comprehensive system of care to women and their families.”

Some of these services include pregnancy testing and counseling, as well as material assistance like clothing, car seats, cribs, formula, and diapers. The legislation also lists mentoring, education materials, classes regarding pregnancy, parenting, adoption, life skills, and employment readiness. The bill would additionally enable the creation of a toll-free, 24-hour hotline for eligible clients to obtain the location and contact information for a nearby pregnancy center. 

Any person who performs or actively participates in an abortion would be committing a third-degree felony under the law. Any person who performs or participates in an abortion that results in the death of the woman would be committing a second-degree felony under the law.

The Florida Supreme Court is currently deliberating a legal challenge to the state’s current 15-week ban under the claim that it violates the Florida Constitution’s privacy clause. If the state’s high court upholds that 15-week ban, and state lawmakers and DeSantis pass the bill, the six-week ban would go into effect.

The White House condemned the proposed pro-life law, claiming it would “jeopardize access not just in Florida but across the South where many states already have severe restrictions on abortion or outright bans. Florida law currently allows abortion up to the 15th week of pregnancy,” CNBC reported.

“This ban would prevent not just the nearly 4 million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks, but would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in states across the South with abortion bans and would no longer be able to rely on Florida as an option to access care,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.