Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Six-Week Abortion Ban Into Law

What’s the story?

• Late Thursday night, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law in a private ceremony. His office released the news release at 11 p.m., an atypical move.
• The ban was passed hours after the Florida Legislature sent the bill to his desk.
• The ban passed the Florida House 70-40, with seven Republicans in opposition but the rest of the supermajority voting along party lines. All of the House Democrats were in opposition. 
• The bill, SB 300, has been dubbed the “Heartbeat Protection Act” based on the theory that the embryo's heartbeat can first be heard in the sixth week of pregnancy. Physicians argue that this statement is clinically inaccurate.

What does the ban do?

• The ban prohibits abortion after six weeks, except in cases of incest, rape, or trafficking. If women have evidence of a sexual crime, they may be allowed an abortion for up to fifteen weeks.
• Many do not realize they are pregnant by six weeks gestation, with few physical signs except a missed or late period in many cases. The restrictive time frame of this ban would effectively eliminate most abortions in Florida.
• The ban prohibits state funds from being earmarked to pay for out-of-state abortion costs and care.
• The ban also impacts medical abortions — the law requires the abortion pill to be dispensed by a physician in-person, not by mail. Almost half of Florida’s abortions in 2021 were done via the abortion pill.
• The bill allocates $25 million for the Florida Pregnancy Care Network, which runs centers that promote anti-abortion, pro-life messaging.
• The bill dedicates $5 million to the Department of Health’s family planning program, which provides access to contraceptives.
• The number of non-resident women traveling to Florida for abortion increased by 38% from 2021 to 2022 after Roe V. Wade was overturned and total abortion bans went into effect in a majority of neighboring Southern states. Florida’s ban would reduce options for people who can get pregnant nationwide.

What are supporters saying?

• Gov. DeSantis said:

“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida. I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”

• Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the ban would ensure that Florida would no longer be “an abortion destination” and that it was “[an] enormous victory in the battle for human rights.” 

What are opponents saying?

• Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers oppose the legislation and are filing their reply brief on May 1.
• The Biden administration vocally objected to the ban. Before the bill was signed, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said:

“[T]his ban would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in abortion-banning states throughout the South, many of whom have previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.”

What is next?

• The bill has been signed but has not taken effect yet.
• The date it takes effect depends on the pending outcome of the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s 15-week abortion pass, which was enacted last year. If the court upholds the fifteen-week abortion ban, the six-week ban will take effect thirty days after that ruling.
• The Florida Supreme Court has yet to issue a firm deadline for a decision on the fifteen-week ban.

Do you oppose Florida’s reduction of abortion access?

—Emma Kansiz 

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)