Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing parents in the state give up their babies for up to 30 days after the birth without criminal consequences. The previous norm allowed this for up to seven days.
Parents will also be able to leave after delivering their baby in a hospital and telling staff their intention and that they are not planning on reclaiming them. They can also do so by calling 911, a departure from the now-old law, which determined babies had to be given up at emergency rooms or fire stations.
The law, which will go into effect on July 1, shields the parents' identity unless the baby shows signs of child abuse or neglect. It was passed unanimously by the Florida Legislature and without any discussion during committee hearings and on the chambers' floors.
About 380 babies have been surrendered in the state since it first enacted the "safe haven" law in the year 2000, according to the Florida Phoenix.
The law's passing comes about a month after the state approved a six-week abortion ban, a highly restrictive measure considering many women don't realize they are pregnant until after that amount of time has passed.
Considering that many southern states have enacted similar measures, the state could see an uptick in births as women who might want to interrupt their pregnancies find themselves unable to do so.
An analysis by the Institute of Labor Economics, showed that birth rates increased by an average of 2.3 percent in states that implemented abortion bans compared to the those that still have protections in place. Research showed that the impact of the Court's decision was "especially large for Hispanic women," with a birth rate increase of 4.7 percent.
Researchers explained that this demographic tends to face economic challenges, making its members more disadvantaged in terms of being able to travel to an abortion clinic in other states.
However, Florida residents will also vote to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution in November after advocated gathered enough votes to do so this year. Supporters would need 60% of the vote to claim the win.
Abortions remain legal in most circumstances in 30 states and the District of Columbia following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
According to a 2022 survey by Pew Research Center, the majority of Latinos believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, though there are differences based on party, religious identity, and dominant language.
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