Starting today, the state of Florida requires a doctor to perform an ultrasound prior to an abortion service, whether it is medically necessary or not.
Women will have to sign a waiver if they decide they do not want to see the ultrasound or if they do not want to be forced to listen to a description of it. Earlier versions of the legislation did not provide such a provision. Even though the final bill did provide a way to opt-out of a forced description, the bill still received bipartisan opposition.
Gov. Rick Scott signed House Bill 1127 recently; it is scheduled to go into effect July 1.
During the last legislative session, then-Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a bill similar to H.B. 1127. Crist said such legislation would “place an inappropriate burden on women seeking to terminate a pregnancy.”
However, the GOP’s supermajority in both Florida’s state House and Senate — and its newly elected republican governor — provided the perfect political climate to reintroduce the bill.
This bill was one of five bills aimed at limiting abortion access in the state.
