Bill Text: FL S1006 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Humanity of the Unborn Child
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2017-05-05 - Died in Health Policy [S1006 Detail]
Download: Florida-2017-S1006-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2017 SB 1006
By Senator Baxley
12-01320-17 20171006__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the humanity of the unborn child;
3 providing a short title; providing legislative intent;
4 requiring the Department of Health to develop and
5 annually update an electronic form containing certain
6 information regarding assistance available to
7 expectant mothers; providing requirements for such
8 form; requiring the department to develop and
9 distribute certain educational and informational
10 materials; requiring the department to provide
11 technical assistance to community-based organizations
12 to prevent and promote awareness of elective
13 terminations of pregnancies; requiring certain
14 facilities providing obstetrical and birth control
15 services to conspicuously display signs containing
16 specified statements; requiring the Department of
17 Education, in collaboration with the Department of
18 Health, to develop an instructional program for public
19 school students regarding the humanity of the unborn
20 child; authorizing district school boards to implement
21 such instructional program; prohibiting such
22 instructional program from including any component of
23 human sexuality education other than the curricular
24 content established in the state standards;
25 prohibiting referrals of any student to a medical
26 facility or provider offering abortion services;
27 requiring the Department of Health to submit an annual
28 report to the Governor and Legislature by a specified
29 date; providing an effective date.
30
31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
32
33 Section 1. (1) This section may be cited as the “Humanity
34 of the Unborn Child Act.”
35 (2) It is the intent of the Legislature to protect and
36 nurture the rights of unborn children to pursue life, liberty,
37 and happiness.
38 (3) The Department of Health shall:
39 (a) Develop, maintain, and update annually an electronic
40 form that contains information regarding public and private
41 agencies and services available to assist a woman throughout her
42 pregnancy, upon childbirth, and while the child is dependent.
43 The form must be indexed geographically and must include:
44 1. A comprehensive list of the public and private agencies
45 available, including, but not limited to, adoption agencies.
46 2. A description of the services such agencies offer.
47 3. Each agency’s contact information, including, but not
48 limited to, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
49 (b) Publish the form required in paragraph (a) on the
50 department’s website along with the following statement:
51
52 “THERE ARE MANY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES WILLING AND ABLE TO
53 HELP YOU CARRY YOUR CHILD TO TERM AND ASSIST YOU AND YOUR CHILD
54 AFTER YOUR CHILD IS BORN, WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO KEEP YOUR CHILD
55 OR TO PLACE HIM OR HER FOR ADOPTION. THE STATE OF FLORIDA
56 STRONGLY URGES YOU TO CONTACT THEM IF YOU ARE PREGNANT AND IN
57 NEED OF ASSISTANCE.”
58
59 The statement must include the hyperlink to the department’s
60 website containing the information required in this subsection.
61 Such information must be made available in a downloadable format
62 appropriate for display.
63 (c) Develop and make available materials designed to
64 provide accurate, scientifically verifiable information
65 regarding the probable anatomical and physiological
66 characteristics of the unborn child at 2-week gestational
67 intervals.
68 (d) Develop and distribute educational and informational
69 materials to provide information through public service
70 announcements on radio, television, the Internet, or print media
71 for the purpose of achieving an abortion-free society. The
72 department must develop such materials using the most readily
73 available, accurate, and up-to-date information and ensure that
74 such materials clearly and consistently communicate that the
75 elective termination of an unborn child kills a living human
76 being.
77 (e) Provide technical assistance to help community-based
78 organizations plan and implement programs designed to prevent
79 elective terminations of pregnancies and promote awareness of
80 the alternatives to such terminations and the humanity of the
81 unborn child.
82 (f) Provide outreach, consultation, training, and referral
83 services that offer alternatives to the elective termination of
84 a pregnancy to schools, organizations, and members of the
85 community.
86 (g) Distribute educational and informational material
87 regarding maternal behavior during pregnancy which is beneficial
88 to an unborn child, including, but not limited to, avoiding
89 tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; maintaining proper nutrition
90 and taking prenatal vitamins; and using resources available for
91 prenatal medical and wellness care.
92 (h) Recommend to the Department of Education scientifically
93 verifiable information regarding the unborn child in accordance
94 with the educational standards of science, family and consumer
95 sciences, and health classes.
96 (4) Any facility providing obstetrical and birth control
97 services, including, but not limited to, obstetrical care
98 offices, public health clinics, hospitals, health clinics at
99 public postsecondary educational institutions, or abortion
100 referral or counseling agencies as defined in s. 390.025,
101 Florida Statutes, shall conspicuously display signs with the
102 following statement:
103
104 “ONLY YOU CAN GIVE YOUR UNBORN CHILD A CHANCE TO LIVE A
105 BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE LIFE. THE STATE OF FLORIDA URGES YOU TO
106 HELP PROMOTE YOUR CHILD’S RIGHT TO LIVE. THERE ARE PUBLIC AND
107 PRIVATE AGENCIES WILLING AND ABLE TO HELP YOU CARRY YOUR CHILD
108 TO TERM AND ASSIST YOU AND YOUR CHILD AFTER YOUR CHILD IS BORN,
109 WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO KEEP YOUR CHILD OR TO PLACE HIM OR HER FOR
110 ADOPTION. THE STATE OF FLORIDA STRONGLY URGES YOU TO CONTACT
111 THEM IF YOU ARE PREGNANT AND IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE.”
112 (5)(a) The Department of Education, in collaboration with
113 the Department of Health, shall establish an instructional
114 program for public school students based on the principles and
115 requirements in this section. Each district school board may
116 implement such instructional program using, at its discretion,
117 content focused on teaching the humanity of the unborn child. At
118 a minimum, the instructional program must provide:
119 1. Accurate, scientifically verifiable information
120 regarding the probable anatomical and physiological
121 characteristics of the unborn child at different stages of
122 gestation. The Department of Education may use as a resource
123 material provided by the Department of Health which illustrates
124 the characteristics of the unborn child.
125 2. Information on accessing prenatal health care.
126 3. The locations and contact information for public and
127 private agencies and services available to assist a woman
128 throughout her pregnancy, upon childbirth, and while the child
129 is dependent, including, but not limited to, adoption agencies;
130 a description of the services offered by such agencies; and the
131 manner by which such agencies may be contacted, including, but
132 not limited to, telephone numbers and email addresses.
133 (b) The instructional program may not include any component
134 of human sexuality education other than the specific curricular
135 content established for science in the Next Generation Sunshine
136 State Standards pursuant to s. 1003.41, Florida Statutes.
137 (c) Any person employed to deliver the instructional
138 program as provided in paragraph (a) may not refer any student
139 to a medical facility or any provider for the performance of an
140 abortion.
141 (6) By December 1, 2017, and each year thereafter, the
142 Department of Health shall submit an annual report regarding its
143 implementation of this section to the Governor, the President of
144 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
145 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.
