Hours after the Florida Legislature sent a bill that places a six-week ban on abortions to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, he signed it into law, according to an April 13 statement from his office.
However, the law, called the Heartbeat Protection Act, will not go into effect until the Florida Supreme Court makes a decision on a lawsuit brought by abortion rights groups seeking to overturn a law that enacted a 15-week abortion ban last year. This law did not include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. Further, under the law, according to CNN, “a pregnancy cannot be terminated after 15 weeks unless the mother is at serious risk or a fatal fetal abnormality is detected [and] two physicians must confirm the diagnosis in writing.”
Additionally, Mr. DeSantis signed the 2023 Framework for Freedom Budget, which includes “permanent sales tax exemptions for baby and toddler necessities, including cribs and strollers, as well as tax holidays on children’s books, toys, athletic equipment, and pet food [as well as] more than $96 million to support foster parents, caregivers, and children [and] nearly $143 million to enhance services for pregnant and postpartum women and children,” the statement said.
Florida joins a number of states that have passed restrictive abortion laws. Abortion is completely illegal in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippii. In Georgia, a woman may have an abortion until a heartbeat can be detected — approximately at six weeks.
