Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Six-Week ‘heartbeat bill’ Into Florida Law

Florida Gov. DeSantis signed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state after six weeks, according to a release from the governor’s office late Thursday night.

The six-week ban would not go into effect until the state Supreme Court overturns its previous precedent on abortion.

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

The Florida law bans abortions at six weeks but creates new exemptions for rape and incest up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It does not change existing exemptions for life and the health of the mother up to 15 weeks.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that there was no constitutional right to an abortion, Florida has become a place people throughout the Southeast come to for abortions as other states in the region banned them.

The number of women seeking abortions in Florida from other states increased from 3,988 in 2020 to 6,708 in 2022, according to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration.

Democrats and abortion-rights groups have criticized Florida's proposal as extreme.

Abortion rights advocates described the ban as a political maneuver by DeSantis, who is expected to run for president and will need to win over the Republican base in a primary.

Credit: NBC News, Politico, Fox News, NPR