A Republican member of the Florida Senate filed a bill Tuesday that would ban most abortions after six weeks.
The bill, filed by Sen. Erin Grall, was filed on the first day of the state's 60-day legislative session.
The bill, known as Senate Bill 300: Pregnancy and Parenting Support, makes exceptions for pregnancies that are the result of rape or incest if the gestational age of the fetus is not more than 15 weeks.
Florida's current law allows all abortions up to 15 weeks.
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The bill also would prohibit any person other than a physician from inducing a termination of pregnancy, require that medications intended for use in an abortion be dispensed in person by a physician, and prohibit the dispensing of such medication through the United States Postal Service or any other courier or shipping service.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had previously said he would sign a 6-week bill if it were introduced.
In a statement Tuesday, the Florida Democratic Party called the proposed bill "extreme."
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"Ron DeSantis and the Republicans doing his bidding are working to further restrict the freedom of Florida’s women and girls all in his attempt to boost his national profile and win over the MAGA base,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “DeSantis has made it clear his only focus is on imposing a MAGA agenda that hurts more and more Floridians every day. This new more extreme abortion ban he called for will only make it harder for Florida’s women and girls to seek the care that they need."
Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book said the bill "bridges the partisan divide."
"Today, Florida Republicans have gone scorched earth with what is effectively and all-out abortion ban - with threats to criminalize women and their doctors," Book said in a statement. "This is it. They have come. And if it's a war they want, it's a war they will get."
