TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida House voted today to pass HB 1335, which would limit access to abortion care for young women in desperate need of nonjudgmental healthcare by licensed and trained physicians. HB 1335 would require a physician to obtain notarized written consent of a parent or legal guardian before providing a young person with abortion care or else be charged with a third-degree felony, and serve potentially up to five years in prison. By creating such restrictions and criminalizing abortion providers, the bill would obstruct access to reasoned and confidential reproductive care as well as potentially jeopardize the lives of young Floridian women.
The companion Senate version of this bill, SB 1774, has passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, despite these constitutional concerns.
Kara Gross, legislative director, ACLU of Florida responded to today’s vote saying:
“HB 1335 reflects the broader push, both in Florida and across our country, to use the power of the state to meddle in personal and family matters. Access to reproductive care and safe abortion is legal, yet certain lawmakers insist on politicizing the matter. Florida law already requires parental notification to ensure parents are prepared to care for their daughters. Using the power of the state to enforce the will of a parent over the legal choice of their daughter is a dangerous precedent that our courts have already found unconstitutional. We encourage the Senate to reject the House’s offer to engage in costly, dangerous politics with the health of young women.”