West Palm Beach, FL – Today, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) released the following statement after the Florida Supreme Court ruled to include an amendment on the state’s ballot this November that, if passed, will establish in Florida’s constitution a right to abortion before fetal viability (about 24 weeks). It will read that “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” At the same time, the Court allowed to go in effect one of the country’s most far-reaching and strictest abortion bans.

“The Florida Supreme Court decisions today are causing severe whiplash for millions of women in Florida and the south. On the one hand, the Court is allowing a devastating, dangerous law to go into effect in 30 days, banning abortions before most women even know that they are pregnant. At the same time, the court will allow Floridians to overrule this treacherous law in the November election,” said Rep Frankel. “For women to be in charge of their health, lives, and futures, they must have the freedom to make their own decisions about whether or when to start or grow a family. It will now be up to Florida voters to secure this important fundamental right by giving people in Florida access to legal abortion. In the meantime, the six-week ban will cause undue harm and suffering.” 

Under Florida’s current law, abortions are banned after 15 weeks and will be banned after six weeks within 30 days. 

Floridians Protecting Freedom, the main group that sought to place a constitutional amendment protecting abortion on the 2024 Florida ballot, has collected 910,946 state-certified signatures, more than the 891,876 needed by this past February. The proposed amendment on the ballot requires 60% of voters’ approval to pass and would overrule the six-week ban and protect access to abortion in Florida.

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