A Florida legislator has introduced a bill banning abortions of babies with a detectable heartbeat, modeled after the Texas Heartbeat Act.
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. Read more…