2023 Florida Statutes › Title XXIX - Public Health › Chapter 390 - Termination of Pregnancies › 390.01112 - Termination of Pregnancies During Viability.

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390.01112 Termination of pregnancies during viability.—
(1) No termination of pregnancy shall be performed on any human being if the physician determines that, in reasonable medical judgment, the fetus has achieved viability, unless:
(a) Two 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; or
(b) The 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.
(2) Before performing a termination of pregnancy, a physician must determine if the fetus is viable by, at a minimum, performing a medical examination of the pregnant woman and, to the maximum extent possible through reasonably available tests and the ultrasound required under s. 390.0111(3), an examination of the fetus. The physician must document in the pregnant woman’s medical file the physician’s determination and the method, equipment, fetal measurements, and any other information used to determine the viability of the fetus.
(3) If a termination of pregnancy is performed during viability, 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 that 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 woman, the physician must consider preserving the woman’s life and health the overriding and superior concern.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2014-137; s. 5, ch. 2023-21.
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Note.—
A. Section 5, ch. 2014-137, provides:
“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.”
B. Section 9, ch. 2023-21, provides that “[e]xcept as otherwise expressly provided in this act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect 30 days after any of the following occurs: a decision by the Florida Supreme Court holding that the right to privacy enshrined in s. 23, Article I of the State Constitution does not include a right to abortion; a decision by the Florida Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood v. State, SC2022-1050, that allows the prohibition on abortions after 15 weeks in s. 390.0111(1), Florida Statutes, to remain in effect, including a decision approving, in whole or in part, the First District Court of Appeal’s decision under review or a decision discharging jurisdiction; an amendment to the State Constitution clarifying that s. 23, Article I of the State Constitution does not include a right to abortion; or a decision from the Florida Supreme Court after March 7, 2023, receding, in whole or in part, from In re T.W., 551 So. 2d 1186 (Fla. 1989), North Fla. Women’s Health v. State, 866 So. 2d 612 (Fla. 2003), or Gainesville Woman Care, LLC v. State, 210 So. 3d 1243 (Fla. 2017).” Effective 30 days after any of these contingencies occur, s. 390.01112 is repealed by s. 5, ch. 2023-21.