TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's controversial 15-week abortion ban bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, the final stop before it heads to the full Senate chamber for a vote.
House lawmakers voted to pass the bill Thursday. If it ultimately passes in the Senate, the bill will head to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk for final approval — an almost-certain bet, as the governor has already called the bill "reasonable" and "supportive of protecting life."
The legislation bans abortion if a doctor finds the gestational age of the fetus is more than 15 weeks. Exceptions are allowed if the woman's life is considered to be in danger or if the fetus is considered to have a "fatal fetal abnormality."
As it stands, the bill does not allow exceptions for rape or incest, though Democratic lawmakers did propose amendments in an attempt to change this.
"Today, for the second time, Republicans in the FL Senate rejected my amendment to ensure victims of rape, incest, & human trafficking are not forced to carry pregnancies resulting from their assaults," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book tweeted on Thursday.
The bill would also currently require two physicians to certify "the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life" or avert serious irreversible impairment.
Democratic senators also proposed an amendment to allow just one physician to make that judgment, but it, too, was rejected by the committee.
The 15-week restriction is similar to a controversial Mississippi law that's currently being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In response to questions about whether the proposed restrictions are unconstitutional, Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls told 10 Tampa Bay the expectation is for the high court to uphold the Mississippi law. A ruling is expected in June.