Florida's 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period Moves Closer to Law

When Mount Dora’s Jennifer Sullivan became the youngest female ever elected to the Florida House last August at the age of 23, she promised to bring a “fresh voice” to the legislative body.

Sullivan, a Republican, seems to be doing just that while making waves with her proposals.

Sullivan’s bill that would require a woman seeking an abortion to talk in person to the doctor who intends to perform the procedure at least 24 beforehand has cleared a big hurdle on its way to becoming law.

The bill was approved by the House’s Health Quality Subcommittee on Thursday. Members of that subcommittee voted along party lines to move the measure forward with Republicans in favor and Democrats against, TBO.com reported.

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The bill has also been presented to the Judiciary Committee, but it hasn’t yet made it to its schedule, House documents show.

If approved, the law would go into effect July 1. It does have a Senate version, as well.

Sullivan, 23, is the youngest female legislator in Florida’s history, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam won the honors of being the youngest male elected back in 1996 when he won a state House seat at age 22.

Sullivan, who is the daughter of North Lake Tea Party founder Patrician Sullivan, has introduced a number of bills this session, including those related to insurance fraud, animal control and corporate income tax.

The abortion waiting period bill also requires the physician who will perform the procedure to provide an ultrasound beforehand while explaining the risks of having – or not having – an abortion.

What are your thoughts on this? Is an abortion waiting period a good idea? Share your opinions by commenting below!

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