Florida Governor DeSantis expected to sign parental consent bill for minors seeking abortions

Mary Margaret Olohan, DCNF

The Florida legislature passed a bill Thursday requiring parental consent for minors to get abortions.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law.
“A child cannot simply tell their parents they are going on a field trip or even playing a school sport,” one state representative said. “So, why would we accept that a child can simply inform their parents they intend to have an abortion?”

The governor of Florida is expected to sign a bill requiring parental consent for minors to get abortions.

The Florida state House voted 75-43 Thursday to pass the Republican-backed Senate Bill 404, a bill that requires minors to obtain permission from their parents before getting an abortion in the state of Florida. Current Florida law requires that a parent is notified before a minor obtains an abortion, CNN reported.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis previously expressed support for the bill and is expected to sign, in which case the bill will go into effect July 1, according to CNN. DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“A child cannot simply tell their parents they are going on a field trip or even playing a school sport. So, why would we accept that a child can simply inform their parents they intend to have an abortion?” Republican Florida state Rep. Erin Grall said in a Thursday statement.

“Everything in my culture, everything in my faith, and the majority of my constituency puts a mandate on me that I support this legislation,” said Democratic Florida state Rep. Kim Daniels, according to CNN.

She shared that she had an abortion at age 15 without her mother’s consent, CNN reported.

Unfortunately, SB 404/HB 265 requiring parental consent for minors to receive an abortion passed the Florida House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. We need to call our legislators to hold them accountable for passing this unconstitutional bill!https://t.co/1UlUGsgkkG

— Planned Parenthood of Southwest & Central Florida (@PPSWCF) February 21, 2020

Senate Bill 404 requires a parent or legal guardian to provide a doctor with written consent before the abortion is begun. This parent or guardian would do so in the form of a notarized document in addition to providing the doctor with a government issued proof of identification.

Doctors who perform abortions on minors without consent from the minor’s parent or guardian could face a third-degree felony or up to five years in prison.

The bill follows a slew of 2019 pro-life legislation in states across the country, including Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri and Alabama.

“We thank Senator Stargel and Representative Grall, both members of our National Pro-Life Women’s Caucus, for advancing this important legislation to protect young girls facing an unexpected pregnancy,” Susan B. Anthony List State Policy Director Sue Liebel said in a Thursday statement, noting that this “commonsense legislation” is supported by a “majority of Florida voters.”

“In the Sunshine State, a young girl needs a parent or guardian’s approval before she gets a tattoo, but she can undergo an invasive, often dangerous procedure without any input from mom or dad,” Liebel added. “Parents ought to have the right to protect and support their young daughters.”

Opponents of the bill, such as Republican state Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, said the law might humiliate teens seeking abortions.

“Sadly, I foresee a scenario where teenagers are going to try to subvert this law. They may try to run away. They may resort to crude and dangerous termination methods, or even suicide,” Fitzenhagen said, according to CNN.

Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida did not respond to requests for comment from the DCNF.

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