Parental consent bill for teen abortions headed to Senate floor

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill that would require teenage girls to get parental consent before having abortions is one step closer to becoming law in Florida.

The Senate Committee on Rules voted 9-7 Wednesday in favor of the bill (SB 404), which will now make its way to the Senate floor.

Under the bill, a physician would be prohibited from performing an abortion on a minor without consent from the child’s parent or legal guardian.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, and co-introduced by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah Gardens.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said during his State of the State address last week that he hoped the issue would “make its way to my desk during this session.”

That now seems likely. The House version (HB 265), although not identical, is ready for consideration by the full House.

The timing of the bill’s passage comes on the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects a pregnant woman’s right to choose to have an abortion without government restriction.