Florida Abortion Ban Bill Now on Ron DeSantis' Desk

Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has indicated his support for the Florida abortion ban bill passed by the Florida House on Thursday that would outlaw most abortions after six weeks, CNN reported.

The law follows actions by other Republican-led states to swiftly curb the practice since the US Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade last summer and would make Florida one of the most restricted states in the country to obtain an abortion.

The state Senate approved the bill on April 3, which will soon be on Ron DeSantis' desk for his signing.

If passed, the bill would ban abortions after the sixth week in Florida. However, critics of the bill say that many women do not even realize they are pregnant until far later than that.

"Let's be clear about the silent part: You just don't want women to have a choice," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa Democrat, said Thursday during a debate on the bill.

By providing a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other documentation, the law allows a victim of rape, incest, or human trafficking to seek an abortion up to 15 weeks into the pregnancy.

Moreover, abortion pills can only be given out by doctors, not sent in the mail, and telemedicine abortion prescriptions are outlawed under the new legislation.

Four Conditions to Have the Procedure Under Florida Abortion Ban

Under the law, physicians can only perform abortions under four specific circumstances, per ABC News.

Under the law's exceptions, abortion care may be provided if two doctors agree in writing that the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to prevent the woman's death or the substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a significant bodily function, excluding psychological conditions.

One doctor must sign a statement saying that another doctor is unavailable for consultation and that the procedure is medically necessary to save the pregnant woman's life or prevent the irreversible physical impairment of a significant bodily function, as required by law.

If a pregnancy has not entered the third trimester and two doctors agree in writing that the fetus has a fatal fetal defect, then abortion will be legal.

Fourth, if the pregnancy is the product of rape or incest and the doctor determines that the fetus is less than 15 weeks in its development, the doctor may perform an abortion.

A copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or evidence showing that she is a victim of rape or incest must be provided at the time the woman arranges or arrives for her abortion appointment.

According to the law, physicians must call the central abuse hotline to report any cases of rape or incest involving kids.

Abortion services will be provided only by physicians with licenses.

It is a third-degree felony for anyone to perform or actively engage in an abortion outside of these guidelines, and abortion that ends in the woman's death is a felony of the second degree.

Women Seeking for Abortion in Florida Almost Doubled from 2020-2022

From 2020 to 2022, the number of out-of-state women seeking abortions in Florida rose from 3,988 to 6,708, according to data compiled by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

Over the same time, the total number of abortions in the state rose from 74,868 to 82,192, NBC News noted.

The Florida abortion ban will be put on hold after it becomes law, pending a judgment from the Florida Supreme Court on the constitutionality of a 15-week abortion restriction Ron DeSantis signed into law after the state's 2022 legislative session.

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, and a group of abortion providers argued that privacy guarantees in the state constitution safeguard the right to an abortion.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: BREAKING: Florida legislature passes ban on abortion after six weeks - From MSNBC