A 15-week abortion restriction was adopted last year by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis. The state now has major new limitations on abortion after lawmakers filed a bill on Tuesday to shorten the prohibition to six weeks.

On the first day of the 2023 legislative session, state senator Erin Grall, who has been a leading proponent of abortion restrictions in Florida, submitted the Senate measure, SB 300.

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Jenna Persons-Mulicka, a state representative for a portion of Lee County, sponsored Bill 7 in the House. State Rep. Randy Fine who chairs the Health and Human Services Committee promised last year that he would support such a ban if he was re-elected.

According to the new law, “A physician may not knowingly induce a pregnancy or conduct an abortion if the doctor judges the fetus’ gestational age is greater than 6 weeks, unless one of the following requirements is met:

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The bill had eliminated the number “15” in the piece of the legislation.

The following conditions met include new language:

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/The pregnancy has not progressed to the third trimester fetus has not achieved viability under s. 390.01112
and two physicians certify in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, the fetus has a fatal fetal abnormality.

/The pregnancy is the result of rape or incest and the gestational age of the fetus is not more than 15 weeks as determined by the physician. At the time the woman schedules or arrives for her appointment for a termination of pregnancy, she must provide a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation proving that she is obtaining the termination of pregnancy because she is a victim of rape or incest. If the woman is a minor, the physician must report the incident of rape or incest to the central abuse hotline as required under s. 39.201.

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