Florida State Rep. Introduces Texas-Style Abortion Bill to Protect Babies With Detectable Heartbeats

Emily Mangiaracina : Dec 7, 2021
LifeSiteNews.com

Modeled after the Texas Heartbeat Act, the proposed Florida law would allow for private lawsuits against abortionists who commit abortions after about six weeks gestation.

(Tallahassee, FL) — [LifeSiteNews.com] A Florida legislator has introduced a bill banning abortions of babies with a detectable heartbeat, modeled after the Texas Heartbeat Act. (Image: Pexels)

HB 167, if passed, would require abortionists to check for a baby's heartbeat before deciding to carry out an abortion, and prohibits them from "knowingly performing" an abortion if they detect a fetal heartbeat or fail to perform the test. The baby's heartbeat is ordinarily detectable by about six weeks gestation.

The Florida bill, introduced by Rep. Webster Barnaby (R-27), also mirrors the Texas Heartbeat Act's private method of enforcement. It would allow people to sue those who perform the abortion or knowingly "aid or abe[t]" the abortion by paying for or reimbursing its cost through insurance or other means. It would not allow prosecution of the woman who sought the abortion.

"Like the Texas law, the Florida legislation does not include exceptions for pregnancies that occur from rape or incest, but makes an exception if a physician believes a 'medical emergency' exists," ABC News noted.

The bill amends Florida statutes to replace the term "fetus" with "unborn child," and expressly states that it does not "create or recognize a right to abortion before a fetal heartbeat is detected."

If passed, the bill would save thousands upon thousands of lives. Most abortions in the United States are committed after six weeks gestation... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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