Topline Florida lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that would ban abortion six weeks into a pregnancy, potentially making Florida the next state to significantly restrict access to abortion—and cutting off a major access point for the procedure in the South—after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suggested he wanted to sign greater restrictions on the procedure into law. A pro-abortion rights activist on July 13, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Getty Images for MoveOn Key Facts The bill, SB 300, would expand on the state’s existing 15-week abortion ban, saying a physician “may not knowingly perform or induce a termination of pregnancy” if the gestation of the fetus is more than six weeks. The bill allows abortions after the six-week mark when physicians certify the mother’s life is at risk or there’s “a serious risk of imminent substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” There are also exemptions for fatal fetal abnormalities before the third trimester and rape and incest before 15 weeks into a pregnancy. Anyone who “performs or actively participates” in an abortion in violation of the law can be found guilty of a third degree felony, which is punishable by up to five years in prison, or a second degree felony if the abortion results in the death of the mother. The ban is contingent upon the Florida Supreme Court a… Click below to read the full story from Forbes
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Florida Republicans Introduce 6-Week Abortion Ban
