TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 300, the Heartbeat Protection Act, which prohibits abortions once the unborn child has a detectible heartbeat.
The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The bill passed 70 to 40 earlier in the day.
Senate Bill 300, titled the "Heartbeat Protection Act," prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for abortions that risk the life of a mother and abortions up to fifteen weeks for pregnancies caused by instances of rape, incest, or human trafficking.
The bill makes it a third-degree felony for physicians or anyone who "actively participate(s) in" an abortion in violation of the ban. It also prohibits state funds from being used in any way to help a woman get an abortion from another state, and using "telehealth" or mail to receive abortion medication.
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”
“From Ron DeSantis down, many lawmakers in Florida will stop at nothing to take away our freedom to make decisions about our own bodies. Despite clear evidence of harm, they have doubled down on abortion bans to deprive millions of people of essential health care. These policy decisions disproportionately hurt Black and Latino people, LGBTQ+ people, and people with low incomes due to systemic racism and discrimination. While today we mourn the imminent loss of abortion access for millions of people, we will keep fighting back in the days, months, and years to come until all Floridians can get the care they deserve without barriers or delay. Planned Parenthood Action Fund and our supporters will hold the politicians who have endangered our lives and futures accountable.”
Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks.
Florida's six-week ban would take effect only if the state's current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives.
The Senate approved it last week, and the House did so Thursday.
Florida’s new abortion ban turns back the clock on women’s rights and essential freedoms – bringing the government into exam rooms and criminalizing women and their doctors over private healthcare decisions.
A Democratic senator and chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party were arrested and charged with trespassing during a protest in Tallahassee against the six-week ban. In a last-ditch move to delay the bill's passage in the House on Thursday, Democrats filed dozens of amendments to the proposal, all of which were rejected by Republicans.
