Florida Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (HB 845)


Number: HB 845

Status: Failed to Pass

Proposed: February 18, 2013

Failed to Pass:

Link: www.myfloridahouse.gov...


Last updated Aug 14, 2014.

HB 845  would have banned sex- and race-selective abortions.

The bill would have required an abortion provider to sign an affidavit stating that he or she is not performing the abortion because of child’s sex or race and has no knowledge that pregnancy being terminated is because of child’s sex or race.

The bill would have prohibited performing, inducing, or actively participating in termination knowing that it is sought based on sex or race of child or race of parent of that child.

It also would have prohibited using force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for purpose of coercing sex-selection or race-selection termination, and would have prohibited soliciting or accepting moneys to finance sex-selection or race-selection termination.

Sex-selection abortions are not a widespread problem in the United States. However, anti-choice activists cite three studies documenting the use of sex-selection abortion primarily among a small number of immigrant women. The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum notes that a ban similar to the proposed Florida ban “targets and thus limits reproductive health access for Asian American & Pacific Islander women, who anti-choicers say are the ones guilty of this abortion practice. We know the real solution to ending the preference for sons in some families is getting to the root of the problem: gender inequity. If lawmakers truly want to help us, we call on them to promote equal pay, access to education, health equity, and ending violence against women.”


Died in Health Policy Committee.

Companion bill to SB 1072, which failed to pass in 2013.