Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law Thursday night a bill that bans abortions in his state after six weeks, the stage of pregnancy when a fetal heartbeat is generally detected.
The new law also provides $25 million in funds for pro-life pregnancy centers throughout the state to assist women during and after pregnancy.
Senate Bill 300, called the Heartbeat Protection Act, passed the state House Thursday by a vote of 70-40. The state Senate passed the legislation last week.
Signed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which expands pro-life protections and devotes resources to help young mothers and families. pic.twitter.com/quZpSj1ZPk
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 14, 2023
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a press statement. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”
The new law, which replaces Florida’s 15-week abortion ban, has exceptions for saving the life of the mother or averting “a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function … other than a psychological condition;” for a “fatal fetal abnormality” prior to the third trimester; and for “rape, incest, or human trafficking,” as long as gestation has not reached beyond 15 weeks and the woman provides police or legal documentation of these conditions.
Two physicians are required to certify that the mother’s life is endangered, that substantial and irreversible physical impairment are at serious risk, or that the unborn baby has a fatal fetal abnormality for an abortion to take place under these exceptions.
The measure provides that only a physician may perform an abortion, and the procedure must occur in person, not via telehealth.
Abortion-inducing drugs “must be dispensed in person by a physician and may not be dispensed through the United States Postal Service or by any other courier or shipping service,” according to the law.
Willful performance of, or active participation in, an abortion in violation of the new law is considered a felony of the third degree.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the new Florida law “extreme and dangerous.”
Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Passage of Florida’s Abortion Banhttps://t.co/uESbaZJ3tW
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) April 13, 2023
In a press statement sent to The Star News Network, however, former abortionist Dr. Kathi Aultman, who lives in Jacksonville and now serves as an associate scholar with the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, shared this reaction to the new Florida law:
After performing hundreds of abortions, I know without hesitation that abortion after six weeks stops a beating heart. The cardiovascular system is the first organ system to function, and at this stage of development, the heart beats around 110 beats per minute. Research has shown that if a heartbeat is detected, a baby has more than a 90% chance of surviving to birth.
Data from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration shows that 95% of more than 82,000 abortions in Florida last year were sought for “elective” or “social or economic” reasons.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America reported results of a poll, published by Ragnar in March, that found 62 percent of likely Florida voters supported the Heartbeat Protection Act, with support highest amongst Hispanics at 76 percent.
The poll found 61 percent of Independents backed the measure, as did 58 percent of women.
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Susan Berry, PhD is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Ron DeSantis” by Ron DeSantis.
