Legislative Issues
2009 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
We are excited to report that every anti-choice attack we faced this session was defeated!
However, despite hundreds of calls and thousands of emails to legislators from activists across Florida, our commonsense legislation, the Healthy Teens Act and Prevention First Act, did not advance. But we are not going to quit and we are not alone! Please sign up today to join our Action Network if you are not already a member.
This was a unique session, unlike anything we've ever seen before. Because Florida faced a $6 billion deficit in the budget, most of the 60 day legislative session focused on finding the funds to plug the largest deficit in our state's history. Unlike in previous years, that left most of the bills on the table. Only 238 bills passed this session, compaired to the usual 400-500 bills, out of a total of 4,000 bills filed.
Here is a quick update on bills we were monitoring this session. For a more thorough update, see our Current Legislation page.
Pro-Choice & Pro-Prevention Bills
The Healthy Teens Act
SB 220 by Sen. Deutch (D-30); HB 265 by Rep. Keith Fitzgerald (D-69)
Despite the hundreds of calls from activists to both Chair Legg and Chair Detert, the Healthy Teens Act did not receive a committee hearing in either chamber. The Healthy Teens Act, if passed, would have protected Florida’s teens by requiring that public schools receiving state funding provide comprehensive, medically-accurate, and age-appropriate factual information when teaching about sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, family planning, or pregnancy.
Prevention First Act
SB 310 by Sen. Rich (D-34); HB 129 by Rep. A. Gibson (D-15)
Like the Healthy Teens Act, the Prevention First Act did not receive a committee hearing in either chamber, despite many calls and emails to Chairs Gaetz and Patronis. The Prevention First Act, if passed, would have increased access to birth control and reduces unintended pregnancies by guaranteeing access to emergency contraception for rape survivors, protecting the right to birth control for all women, and protecting the right to have lawful and valid prescriptions filled at the pharmacy.
Sex Education
SB 268 by Sen. Ring (D-32); HB 19 by Rep. Jenne (D-100)
This bill did not receive a committee hearing in either chamber. This bill would have removed the dangerous requirement that schools “teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school-age students” as part of sex education instruction.
Anti-Choice Bills
Mandatory Ultrasound
SB 1854 by Sen. Gardiner (R-9); HB 983 by Rep. Flores (R-114) and Rep. Burgin (R-56)
HB 983 passed favorably with Committee Substitute out of the Health Care Regulation Policy Committee in the House, but failed to be placed on agenda in its remaining committee assignments. In the Senate, SB 1854, was not heard in committee. The mandatory ultrasound bill violated the doctor-patient relationship by requiring that doctors perform ultrasounds prior to any abortion. This bill would have forced physicians to perform ultrasounds even when it is not medically-appropriate to the patient’s situation or goes against the professional judgment of the physician.
"Choose Life" License Plates
SB 1560 by Sen. Baker (R-20); HB 239 by Rep. Glorioso (R-62)
SB 642 by Altman (R-24); SB 2326 by Ring (D-32); HB 49 by Kelly (R-24)
HB 239, encompansing all license plates, including the "Choose Life" expansion, passed in the House. SB 1560, including the "Choose Life" expansion plate, passed all of its committees, but failed to be heard on the Senate floor. In order to try to get the "Choose Life" expansion bill passed, Anti-Choice Senators tried amending this "Choose Life" license plate language onto SB 642 and SB 2326, but were defeated. This bill would have expanded the "Choose Life" license plates that fund crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), fake clinics that have been known to use anti-choice propaganda, medically inaccurate or incomplete information, and intimidation tactics to dissuade women from obtaining abortions. The bill would also allow any funds from the plates that remain unused by the counties to go to Choose Life, Inc, a nation-wide organization based in Ocala, FL that advocates for "Choose Life" license plates across the country, instead of by county governments. We applaud Senator Aronberg who introduced an amendment requiring that any CPC, funded through the "Choose Life" license plate, must provide women who enter their centers with medically accurate information and materials.
Minor’s Access to Abortion
SB 590 by Sen. Wise (R-5); HB 341 by Rep. Van Zant (R-21)
Both SB 590 and HB 341 were not heard in any committees in either chamber. This dangerous and unconstitutional bill would have prohibited nonresident minors from seeking judicial bypass for abortion, jeopardizing the health and safety of young women by restricting access to reproductive healthcare. Further, this bill would be unconstitutional because it infringes on minors’ constitutionally protected right to travel.
Budget
FAPPA monitored serveral line items in the budget and is happy to report that Family Planning was fully funded this session at just over $6 million. While we worked hard this session to zero-fund the $2 million appropriation for so-called "crisis pregnancy centers" in Florida, we were not succesful in it's defunding. However, we are proud that legislators created proviso language to ensure that at least 85% of the funds must be used for direct client services. This means that the nearly one million dollars currently being spent on billboards, yellowbook ads, and other marketing services, will be severly reduced.
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