eLaws of Florida

  SECTION 390.0111. Termination of pregnancies.  


Latest version.
  • 1(1) 2TERMINATION IN THIRD TRIMESTER; WHEN ALLOWED.8-9No termination of pregnancy shall be performed on any human being in the third trimester of pregnancy unless one of the following conditions is met:
    34(a) 35Two physicians certify in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman other than a psychological condition.
    83(b) 84The physician certifies in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, there is a medical necessity for legitimate emergency medical procedures for termination of the pregnancy to save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of imminent substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman other than a psychological condition, and another physician is not available for consultation.
    149(2) 150PERFORMANCE BY PHYSICIAN REQUIRED.154-155No termination of pregnancy shall be performed at any time except by a physician as defined in s. 173390.011174.
    175(3) 176CONSENTS REQUIRED.178-179A termination of pregnancy may not be performed or induced except with the voluntary and informed written consent of the pregnant woman or, in the case of a mental incompetent, the voluntary and informed written consent of her court-appointed guardian.
    219(a) 220Except in the case of a medical emergency, consent to a termination of pregnancy is voluntary and informed only if:
    2401. 241The physician who is to perform the procedure, or the referring physician, has, at a minimum, orally, while physically present in the same room, and at least 24 hours before the procedure, informed the woman of:
    277a. 278The nature and risks of undergoing or not undergoing the proposed procedure that a reasonable patient would consider material to making a knowing and willful decision of whether to terminate a pregnancy.
    310b. 311The probable gestational age of the fetus, verified by an ultrasound, at the time the termination of pregnancy is to be performed.
    333(I) 334The ultrasound must be performed by the physician who is to perform the abortion or by a person having documented evidence that he or she has completed a course in the operation of ultrasound equipment as prescribed by rule and who is working in conjunction with the physician.
    382(II) 383The person performing the ultrasound must offer the woman the opportunity to view the live ultrasound images and hear an explanation of them. If the woman accepts the opportunity to view the images and hear the explanation, a physician or a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant working in conjunction with the physician must contemporaneously review and explain the images to the woman before the woman gives informed consent to having an abortion procedure performed.
    464(III) 465The woman has a right to decline to view and hear the explanation of the live ultrasound images after she is informed of her right and offered an opportunity to view the images and hear the explanation. If the woman declines, the woman shall complete a form acknowledging that she was offered an opportunity to view and hear the explanation of the images but that she declined that opportunity. The form must also indicate that the woman’s decision was not based on any undue influence from any person to discourage her from viewing the images or hearing the explanation and that she declined of her own free will.
    573(IV) 574Unless requested by the woman, the person performing the ultrasound may not offer the opportunity to view the images and hear the explanation and the explanation may not be given if, at the time the woman schedules or arrives for her appointment to obtain an abortion, a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation is presented which provides evidence that the woman is obtaining the abortion because the woman is a victim of rape, incest, domestic violence, or human trafficking or that the woman has been diagnosed as having a condition that, on the basis of a physician’s good faith clinical judgment, would create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function if the woman delayed terminating her pregnancy.
    706c. 707The medical risks to the woman and fetus of carrying the pregnancy to term.

    721The physician may provide the information required in this subparagraph within 24 hours before the procedure if requested by the woman at the time she schedules or arrives for her appointment to obtain an abortion and if she presents to the physician a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation evidencing that she is obtaining the abortion because she is a victim of rape, incest, domestic violence, or human trafficking.

    7992. 800Printed materials prepared and provided by the department have been provided to the pregnant woman, if she chooses to view these materials, including:
    823a. 824A description of the fetus, including a description of the various stages of development.
    838b. 839A list of entities that offer alternatives to terminating the pregnancy.
    850c. 851Detailed information on the availability of medical assistance benefits for prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care.
    8673. 868The woman acknowledges in writing, before the termination of pregnancy, that the information required to be provided under this subsection has been provided.

    891Nothing in this paragraph is intended to prohibit a physician from providing any additional information which the physician deems material to the woman’s informed decision to terminate her pregnancy.

    920(b) 921If a medical emergency exists and a physician cannot comply with the requirements for informed consent, a physician may terminate a pregnancy if he or she has obtained at least one corroborative medical opinion attesting to the medical necessity for emergency medical procedures and to the fact that to a reasonable degree of medical certainty the continuation of the pregnancy would threaten the life of the pregnant woman. If a second physician is not available for a corroborating opinion, the physician may proceed but shall document reasons for the medical necessity in the patient’s medical records.
    1017(c) 1018Violation of this subsection by a physician constitutes grounds for disciplinary action under s. 1032458.331 1033or s. 1035459.0151036. Substantial compliance or reasonable belief that complying with the requirements of informed consent would threaten the life or health of the patient is a defense to any action brought under this paragraph.
    106911070(4) 1071STANDARD OF MEDICAL CARE TO BE USED IN THIRD TRIMESTER.1081-1082If a termination of pregnancy is performed in the third trimester, the physician performing the termination of pregnancy must exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the fetus which the physician would be required to exercise in order to preserve the life and health of a fetus intended to be born and not aborted. However, if preserving the life and health of the fetus conflicts with preserving the life and health of the pregnant woman, the physician must consider preserving the woman’s life and health the overriding and superior concern.
    1182(5) 1183PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION PROHIBITED; EXCEPTION.1187-
    1188(a) 1189No physician shall knowingly perform a partial-birth abortion.
    1197(b) 1198A woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed may not be prosecuted under this section for a conspiracy to violate the provisions of this section.
    1224(c) 1225This subsection shall not apply to a partial-birth abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, provided that no other medical procedure would suffice for that purpose.
    1266(6) 1267EXPERIMENTATION ON FETUS PROHIBITED; EXCEPTION.1272-1273No person shall use any live fetus or live, premature infant for any type of scientific, research, laboratory, or other kind of experimentation either prior to or subsequent to any termination of pregnancy procedure except as necessary to protect or preserve the life and health of such fetus or premature infant.
    1324(7) 1325FETAL REMAINS.1327-1328Fetal remains shall be disposed of in a sanitary manner pursuant to s. 1341381.0098 1342and rules adopted thereunder. Failure to dispose of fetal remains in accordance with this subsection is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 1369775.082 1370or s. 1372775.0831373.
    1374(8) 1375REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN TERMINATION PROCEDURE.1381-1382Nothing in this section shall require any hospital or any person to participate in the termination of a pregnancy, nor shall any hospital or any person be liable for such refusal. No person who is a member of, or associated with, the staff of a hospital, nor any employee of a hospital or physician in which or by whom the termination of a pregnancy has been authorized or performed, who shall state an objection to such procedure on moral or religious grounds shall be required to participate in the procedure which will result in the termination of pregnancy. The refusal of any such person or employee to participate shall not form the basis for any disciplinary or other recriminatory action against such person.
    1505(9) 1506EXCEPTION.1507-1508The provisions of this section shall not apply to the performance of a procedure which terminates a pregnancy in order to deliver a live child.
    153311534(10) 1535PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION.1538-1539Except as provided in subsections (3), (7), and (12):
    1548(a) 1549Any person who willfully performs, or actively participates in, a termination of pregnancy in violation of the requirements of this section or s. 1572390.01112 1573commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 1585775.082, 1586s. 1587775.083, 1588or s. 1590775.0841591.
    1592(b) 1593Any person who performs, or actively participates in, a termination of pregnancy in violation of this section or s. 1612390.01112 1613which results in the death of the woman commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 1633775.082, 1634s. 1635775.083, 1636or s. 1638775.0841639.
    1640(11) 1641CIVIL ACTION PURSUANT TO PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION; RELIEF.1648-
    1649(a) 1650The father, if married to the mother at the time she receives a partial-birth abortion, and, if the mother has not attained the age of 18 years at the time she receives a partial-birth abortion, the maternal grandparents of the fetus may, in a civil action, obtain appropriate relief, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff’s criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion.
    1715(b) 1716In a civil action under this section, appropriate relief includes:
    17261. 1727Monetary damages for all injuries, psychological and physical, occasioned by the violation of subsection (5).
    17422. 1743Damages equal to three times the cost of the partial-birth abortion.
    1754(12) 1755INFANTS BORN ALIVE.1758-
    1759(a) 1760An infant born alive during or immediately after an attempted abortion is entitled to the same rights, powers, and privileges as are granted by the laws of this state to any other child born alive in the course of natural birth.
    1801(b) 1802If an infant is born alive during or immediately after an attempted abortion, any health care practitioner present at the time shall humanely exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the infant as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to an infant born alive at the same gestational age in the course of natural birth.
    1871(c) 1872An infant born alive during or immediately after an attempted abortion must be immediately transported and admitted to a hospital pursuant to s. 1895390.012(3)(c) 1896or rules adopted thereunder.
    1900(d) 1901A health care practitioner or any employee of a hospital, a physician’s office, or an abortion clinic who has knowledge of a violation of this subsection must report the violation to the department.
    1934(e) 1935A person who violates this subsection commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 1953775.082, 1954s. 1955775.083, 1956or s. 1958775.0841959. This subsection shall not be construed as a specific provision of law relating to a particular subject matter that would preclude prosecution of a more general offense, regardless of the penalty.
    1991(f) 1992This subsection does not affirm, deny, expand, or contract any legal status or legal right applicable to any member of the species 2014Homo sapiens 2016at any point prior to being born alive as defined in s. 2028390.0112029.
    203012031(13) 2032FAILURE TO COMPLY.2035-2036Failure to comply with the requirements of this section or s. 2047390.01112 2048constitutes grounds for disciplinary action under each respective practice act and under s. 2061456.0722062.
    2063(14) 2064RULES.2065-2066The applicable boards, or the department if there is no board, shall adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
    2088(15) 2089USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS RESTRICTED.2094-2095A state agency, a local governmental entity, or a managed care plan providing services under part IV of chapter 409 may not expend funds for the benefit of, pay funds to, or initiate or renew a contract with an organization that owns, operates, or is affiliated with one or more clinics that are licensed under this chapter and perform abortions unless one or more of the following applies:
    2163(a) 2164All abortions performed by such clinics are:
    21711. 2172On fetuses that are conceived through rape or incest; or
    21822. 2183Are medically necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman or to avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman, other than a psychological condition.
    2220(b) 2221The funds must be expended to fulfill the terms of a contract entered into before July 1, 2016.
    2239(c) 2240The funds must be expended as reimbursement for Medicaid services provided on a fee-for-service basis.
History.-s. 1, ch. 79-302; s. 1, ch. 80-208; s. 6, ch. 88-97; s. 6, ch. 91-223; s. 64, ch. 91-224; s. 694, ch. 95-148; s. 2, ch. 97-151; s. 1, ch. 98-1; s. 201, ch. 99-13; s. 1, ch. 2011-224; s. 2, ch. 2013-121; s. 2, ch. 2014-137; s. 1, ch. 2015-118; s. 2, ch. 2016-150; s. 20, ch. 2018-106; s. 1, ch. 2020-147.

Note

Note.-Section 5, ch. 2014-137, provides that:

“Severability and reversion.-

“(1) If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are severable.

“(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), if s. 390.01112, Florida Statutes, is held unconstitutional and severed by a court having jurisdiction, the amendments made by this act to s. 390.011, Florida Statutes, and subsections (4), (10), and (13) of s. 390.0111, Florida Statutes, will be repealed and will revert to the law as it existed on January 1, 2014.”

Note.-Former s. 390.001.

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