Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Tuesday that requires consent from a parent or guardian before a minor receives an abortion.
The new law, which went into effect Wednesday, also increases the criminal penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony for any doctor who doesn’t assist an infant who is born alive during an abortion. The doctor is required to transport the baby to a hospital.
The legislation passed the Florida House 75-43 and the Senate 23-17.
Florida Senate President Bill Galvano said the law was needed.
“The serious and irrevocable decision to end a pregnancy involves undergoing a significant medical procedure that results, in many cases, in lifelong emotional and physical impacts,” Galvano said. “The parents of a minor child considering an abortion must be involved in such a substantial and permanent decision.”
The new law says a physician “must obtain written consent from a parent or legal guardian” before “performing or inducing the termination of a pregnancy of a minor.”
The law also allows for a judicial bypass.
“For those who are in a situation of abuse or where parental consent is not in the child’s best interest, the bill provides a judicial waiver process that still involves the intervention of an adult,” Galvano said.
If the consent law is violated, the doctor – not the minor – would be prosecuted.
Florida Rep. Erin Grall
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