TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The House Professions and Public Health Subcommittee today voted to pass House Bill 5, which would prevent individuals from accessing safe and legal abortions after 15 weeks and would criminalize medical professionals who provide such critical abortion care.
This bill bans abortion at 15 weeks with no concern for a pregnant person’s circumstances. HB 5 makes no exception for individuals who are the victims of rape, incest, domestic violence, or human trafficking. Additionally, there is no exception for significant, life-threatening fetal abnormalities that do not result in imminent death.
This harmful bill is part of a nationwide dangerous, unpopular, and coordinated effort to chip away at safe and legal abortion access. The Senate companion, SB 146, has not yet had a committee vote.
Kara Gross, legislative director of the ACLU of Florida, responded to today's hearing with the following:
“Politicians and the government should not have the power to decide for a pregnant person what to do with their body or if, when, and how to start a family. The government should never be able to force anyone to carry a pregnancy against their will. Floridians overwhelmingly support access to safe and legal abortion. This ban is deeply unpopular, blatantly unconstitutional, and costly to Floridians.
“These types of anti-abortion bans disproportionately harm Black and Latinx people and low-income communities. Abortion bans do nothing to address the serious economic and health challenges facing Floridians, and instead exacerbate these challenges for those most in-need. HB 5 harms families and jeopardizes health outcomes for all Floridians, and particularly those who are most vulnerable.
“Every Floridian should be able to make their own personal, private health care decisions without politicians standing in the way. In a state that prides itself on being free, this is an unprecedented and unacceptable level of government overreach and intrusion.”
