Florida governor signs
bill requiring two clinic visits, waiting period for
abortion
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[June 11, 2015]
By Bill Cotterell
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - Women seeking
abortions in Florida will be required to make two visits to a clinic,
with a mandatory 24-hour waiting period in between, to end a pregnancy
under a bill signed into law on Wednesday.
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Republican Governor Rick Scott signed the measure, passed this
spring by the Republican-controlled state legislature, without
comment.
“This means women will be empowered to make fully informed
decisions,” said Republican state Representative Jennifer Sullivan,
who sponsored the legislation. "It’s just common courtesy to have a
face-to-face conversation with your doctor about such an important
decision — especially for such an irreversible procedure as an
abortion.”
Opponents said it would unnecessarily burden women by creating a
stressful waiting period and additional expense.
The bill was amended to let doctors waive the waiting period in
cases of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking.
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The push for more restrictive waiting periods comes amid a wave of
anti-abortion laws passed by a number of states in recent years as
conservatives seek to chip away at the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark
1973 Roe v. Wade decision to legalize abortion [ID: nL1N0XZ1TM].
When Florida's law takes effect on July 1, 28 states will require a
waiting period for an abortion, with several states requiring waits
as long as 72 hours, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which
tracks reproductive policy.
Currently, 11 states require women to make two clinic visits for an
abortion, the institute added. With restrictions passed by Florida
and other states this year, the count will soon rise to 14.
Michelle Richardson, director of public policy for the ACLU of
Florida, said her organization was considering a legal challenge to
the new Florida law.
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“With this dangerous law, Florida is joining other states in the
race to the bottom for limiting women’s ability to make their own
personal healthcare decisions,” she said. “Not only is the 24-hour
mandatory delay medically unnecessary, it could in fact interfere
with a woman’s health.”
The state legislature approved the bill in late April, with most
Republicans voting for it and most Democrats opposed.
State law already required an “informed consent” briefing to tell
women the state of gestation and the possible side effects of
abortion, but that talk could be delivered immediately before the
procedure.
(Editing by Letitia Stein and Peter Cooney)
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