Legislative Report

20 20 LEGISLATIVE REPORT attempts at introducing anti-reproductive health Overview bills with the intention of rolling back abortion rights through our new state Supreme Court. While we knew this legislative session was going to The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates be hostile for reproductive rights, that did not stop is the nonpartisan advocacy and political arm of us from fighting against multiple attempts to restrict Planned Parenthood health centers in Florida. access to safe and legal abortion. This session we In partnership with more than 820,000 activists, were able to defeat two of the most dangerous anti- supporters and donors in the state, the Florida reproductive health bills that our state has ever seen. Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates advocates for access to our 22 health centers where patients This year we saw the re-introduction of the six-week receive nonjudgmental, compassionate, affordable abortion ban (HB 271) which was an attempt to ban and quality care. With nearly 78% of Planned abortion altogether. At six weeks most women do not Parenthood health centers in medically underserved even know they are pregnant. This bill would have areas, Planned Parenthood continues to be a trusted taken away a woman’s right to make her own medical provider for communities in need. decisions before she even knew she had a decision to make. It’s been 47 years since the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, which made clear that the United States Despite similar bills passing in other parts of the Constitution protects every woman’s right to make her country, here in Florida, the bill never even received own personal medical decisions, including abortion. a committee hearing. In addition to the six-week ban, Yet politicians in Florida have shown that they will a twenty-week ban (SB 734) was also introduced but stop at nothing to end access not only to abortion failed to gain any traction. These bills are part of a but to the full spectrum of reproductive health care. nationally coordinated effort to chip away at access to abortion. We’ve seen a 62% increase in abortion In 2019, we saw renewed attacks on reproductive bans across the country (including in our neighboring healthcare in the legislature as well as the states of Georgia and Alabama). However, in Florida, appointment of three new state Supreme Court neither of these bills received any committee justices by Governor Ron DeSantis who will be hearings thanks, in no small part, to a heightened deciding the future of reproductive rights in Florida. level of opposition from Floridians including health Political observers anticipated that lawmakers would care professionals, patients, students and advocates. be emboldened to introduce legislation that would trigger a ruling from the newly appointed Supreme Ultimately, the legislature did pass a bill that will take Court justices on Floridian’s constitutional right to away access to health care for young people. The privacy which affords protections on the right to an Forced Parental Consent on Abortion bill (SB 404/HB abortion. Since then lawmakers have made multiple 365) will now require young people to gain consent Session by the Numbers volunteers participated new 86 in Lobby Days 7,080 supporters visits with press conferences with 53 legislators 4 coalition partners for an abortion from their parent or legal guardian. constitutional right to privacy, which has protected Under this unconstitutional legislation, young people abortion access in our state for the past 30 years. who are unable to obtain consent will have to navigate the complicated legal system on their own in order to Planned Parenthood will always fight to ensure that go in front of a judge and obtain a “judicial bypass” access to reproductive health care is defended – that would determine if they are “mature enough” to and the 2020 legislative session was no different. get an abortion. We deeply believe in the rights of all people — no matter who they are, where they live, or what they This forced parental consent legislation is opposed earn — to make their own personal decisions about by nationally accredited health care organizations their bodies, their families, and their life’s path, across the nation. While supporters of the bill claim without political interference. This report provides that the intention is to improve family communication, an overview of the bills that the Florida Alliance of professional medical organizations like the American Planned Parenthood Affiliates advocated for and Academy of Pediatrics have stated that these laws fail against, in conjunction with our allies and supporters, to achieve the intended benefit of promoting family during the 2020 Legislative Session. communication. In fact, these laws only increase the risk of harm to the young person by delaying access to timely medical care. Social Media: Online Activism While states like Massachusetts and Illinois are working to reverse the damage that forced parental 20,231 consent laws have done in their state, Florida is moving full speed ahead to further endanger young online actions people who, in many cases, have experienced abuse at the hands of their own parents and guardians. In response to the fast-tracking of this bill, Planned Parenthood mobilized more than 200 supporters to come from all over the state in order to protest outside of the Senate chambers, as Senators entered to take a final vote. While our collective presence was powerful enough to delay the vote that day, legislators ultimately passed the bill the following week. Instead of improving access to reproductive healthcare this legislative session, elected officials continued to interfere in Floridians’ most personal medical decisions. This legislation will disproportionately affect young people of color, youth from immigrant communities, young people that identify as LGBT, youth in the foster care system, and homeless youth. Young people in Florida should be supported with more information and resources, not burdened by more barriers and delays. While this bill passed in both chambers, our champions waged a spirited and thorough debate before the vote. If this bill is challenged and taken to the new Florida Supreme Court, it will threaten reproductive health care throughout Florida by opening up the door to a more conservative reinterpretation of our state’s Anti-Reproductive Health Legislation HB265/SB404- Parental Consent HB1059/SB1634 Parental Bill of Rights By: Reps. Grall, Stargel By: Reps. Grall, Sullivan CoSponsors: Reps. Altman, Andrade, Beltran, CoSponsors: Reps. Altman, Buchanan, Bush III, Byrd, Buchanan, Bush III, Byrd, DiCeglie, Daniels, Donalds, Daniels, Donalds, Eagle, Fischer, McClain, Perez, Eagle, Fischer, Gregory, Hage, Hill, Killebrew, Magar, Plakon, Roth, Sabatini, Santiago, Stone, Yarborough, Maggard, McClain, Overdorf, Perez, Plakon, Ponder, Zika. Senator Stargel Roach, Robinson, Rodriguez (AM), Rommel, Roth, This duplicative and overreaching bill would have Sabatini, Shoaf, Sirois, Smith (D), Sprowls, Stone, created a false choice between “parent’s rights” and Williamson, Yarborough, Zika. Senator Stargel their children’s constitutional rights. The bill would CoSponsors: Senators Albritton, Baxley, Broxson, have affected LGBTQ youth by forcing school staff Diaz, Gruters, Harrell, Hutson, Mayfield to ‘out’ a young queer person to their parent, against This legislation would require young people to obtain the young person’s will. It would also have made it parental consent prior to receiving an abortion. harder for a young person to access basic counseling. We know that most young people already seek the This was the second year that this bill was introduced. counsel of their parent or guardian when it comes STATUS: The legislation passed in the House. Was to a decision like this. Leading health and medical heard in two Senate committees but did not make professionals oppose parental involvement laws. it to a floor vote. Good family communication cannot be legislated. This bill does not allow exceptions for victims of rape, human trafficking or incest. STATUS: The legislation passed in the House and Senate. The bill is waiting to be signed by Governor DeSantis and will go into effect on July 1st, 2020. HB271 Fetal Heartbeat Ban By: Rep. Hill CoSponsors: Reps. Hage, Sabatini This legislation attempts to ban abortion as early as six weeks, when some people don’t even know if they are pregnancy yet. This bill is blatantly unconstitutional and endangers the health and life of VOLUNTEERS AT COMMITTEE HEARINGS IN pregnant people. This bill is reintroduced every year. OPPOSITION TO ANTI-REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILLS STATUS: Did not see any legislative movement. SB734 Termination of Pregnancy By: Sen. Gruters CoSponsors: Sen. Albritton Prohibited termination of pregnancy based on a test result, diagnosis, or other reason for believing that the fetus has Down syndrome. STATUS: Did not see any legislative movement. Pro-Reproductive Health Legislation In addition to the attacks on reproductive health HB 6047 “Repealer Bill of introduced during this legislative session, there Unconstitutional Language” were 5 bills that would have focused on promoting by Rep. Eskamani healthier lifestyles by providing access to preventive care and education. Below are bills that the Florida This legislation would have repealed unconstitutional Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates supported language from 2016 TRAP (Targeted Regulation of with champion bill sponsors: Abortion Providers)

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