The bill, which takes effect on July 1, allows exceptions in cases where pregnancy poses a “serious risk” to the mother or a fatal fetal abnormality is found if two doctors confirm the diagnosis in writing.
The bill makes Florida the last Republican-led state to propose a 15-week abortion ban this session. In addition, the Kentucky legislature on Wednesday lifted the veto of Democratic Gov. Andy Besher on a broad abortion bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. And in Oklahoma, Republican Gov. Kevin Steet signed a bill Tuesday that makes abortion illegal in the state, except in the case of emergency medical care.
The US Supreme Court appears ready to uphold the Mississippi law, which bans abortion after 15 weeks. The fate of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion across the country, is also looming, and anti-abortion activists hope the conservative majority will overturn it.
Previously, Florida allowed abortions in the second trimester of pregnancy, making it one of the most permitted abortion states in the southeast. Proponents of abortion said many women in neighboring states often travel to Florida for the procedure, which means changes in Florida law can be felt throughout the region.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida reported 71,914 abortions in 2019, or 18.5 per 1,000 women, the third highest in the country.
“We are here today to protect those who cannot defend themselves,” DeSantis said on Thursday on stage, surrounded by several women lawmakers, abortion advocates and children. “This will be the most significant protection of life we have seen in a generation.”
The bill comes days after a Tallahassee district court judge ruled that Florida could require a 24-hour waiting period to have an abortion, ending a seven-year lawsuit over another controversial anti-abortion measure.
The State Senate passed the bill on March 15-15 because of objections from Democrats, who shared painful and emotional stories of women who chose to have an abortion after an injury. State Senator Lauren Buk, a Democrat from the plantations and leader of the Minority Party, told colleagues she was a rape victim and called on lawmakers to include an exception for women who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence.
The book burst into tears after the proposed amendment was rejected by Republicans, who have a majority in the House.
In a tweet in March, President Joe Biden called the new restriction on abortions in Florida “a dangerous bill that will severely restrict women’s access to reproductive health care.”
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