Florida House Committee approves pro-life bill modeled after Mississippi’s Gestation Age Act

By Dave Andrusko

After listening to upwards of 100 people, the Florida House Professions and Public Health Subcommittee approved a bill that would protect unborn babies after 15 weeks by a 12-6 vote. Wednesday’s hearing was the first on House Bill 5, titled “Reducing Infant and Fetal Mortality” and was  co-introduced by state Reps. Erin Grall and Jenna Persons-Mulicka.

Grall cited statistics from the Department of Health that there were 209,645 live births  in Florida in 2020. Data from the same year found there were 72,073 abortions 

“We killed over 25% of Florida’s children in 2020,” she said, according to Nicole Pasia.

The pro-life legislation “would allow exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk or if the unborn baby has a fatal anomaly,” Micaiah Bilger explained. “It also would create new requirements for hospitals and abortion facilities to report data to the Florida Department of Health, including measures to help identify victims of human trafficking, to keep track of babies who are born alive in abortions and to reduce infant mortality.”

Grall “shared that her own sister had gotten an abortion, and called the tens of thousands of Florida abortions in 2020 ‘an atrocity,’” Imani Thomas and Issac Morgan reported. “Grall has shepherded other abortions bans, including a law in 2020 that requires parental consent for minors getting abortions.”

“We know more today than ever about the development of children in the womb,” said Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach,” according to Forrest Saunders

Grall said the bill is modeled after a Mississippi law currently under U.S. Supreme Court review, challenging the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, 

She called her bill “an opportunity” to ready the state for change.

“We will be saving nearly 5,000 babies a year with this bill in place,” Grall said.

Grall said the bill is modeled after a Mississippi law currently under U.S. Supreme Court review, challenging the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

She called her bill “an opportunity” to ready the state for change.

In addition to the Professions and Public Health Subcommittee, “H.B. 5 will undergo hearings in the House Health Care Appropriation Subcommittee and the House Health and Human Services Committee,” Pasia explained.