Florida files bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks

A group of people assemble at the Times Square in New York City, the US on Saturday to protest the new Texas ban on abortion. Photo: AFP

Republican lawmakers in Florida filed a bill on Tuesday seeking to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions in cases of serious medical emergencies for the mother or fatal fetal abnormalities.

The bill, introduced on the first day of the Florida legislature's 2022 session, sets the stage for a battle over abortion access expected to play out in courts and state capitols in 2022 as the US Supreme Court weighs a case that could overhaul abortion rights.

A 15-week ban would violate the Supreme Court's precedent in Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that established a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy before the fetus is viable, at around 24 weeks. 

But the Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has given anti-abortion advocates reason to hope that such a ban could soon stand.

In December, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Mississippi's bid to revive its 15-week ban on abortions. 

The conservative justices indicated sympathy toward Mississippi's law, and the court is expected to rule in the spring.

If the court rules in Mississippi's favor, it will pave the way for states like Florida to successfully defend their pre-viability bans on abortion in the court.

The Florida bill is part of a wave of Republican-backed anti-abortion measures pursued around the country in recent years, and more are likely to follow in the run-up to the Supreme Court's decision. 

The issue will likely play a prominent role in the 2022 midterm elections to decide control of Congress.