Senate Bill 404 (SB 404) states, "a physician must obtain written consent from a parent or legal guardian before performing or inducing the termination of a pregnancy of a minor." 

Meaning, if a minor wishes to terminate a pregnancy without parental consent, they must present evidence of pregnancy to a circuit court alongside a petition in the form of a written statement requesting termination without parental consent. The court has three days to decide, and if the ruling results in denial of the petition, then the minor has the right to appeal. However, this extends the time in which the minor is pregnant and could potentially surpass the medical period of time that is deemed safe to terminate a pregnancy. Furthermore, denial from the court puts minors at risk by potentially seeking unsafe measures to terminate a pregnancy.

SB 404 also states that if the minor, otherwise known as the petitioner, is found to be a victim of sexual abuse by [their] parents or guardian based on "clear and convincing evidence," then they are granted termination of pregnancy. This means the minor must prove to court officials they are a victim of sexual abuse by their parents or legal guardian. Even if court officials affirm the minor is a victim, the parents or legal guardian of the minor must be informed of their decision to terminate the pregnancy.

This bill forces a minor to present evidence of their sexual abuse in court. This causes immense emotional trauma, which may deter the minor from seeking permission to terminate a pregnancy. Ultimately, increasing the chances of seeking unsafe measures to terminate a pregnancy.

Please understand Governor Ron DeSantis is ultimately condoning the idea that minors may not make decisions that pertain to their body, and that judicial officials are the sole determiner of whether or not you may bring a child into this world.

By signing this petition, you agree a minor should not have to receive parental consent to terminate a pregnancy. You are considering the mental, physical, and emotional effects a minor may feel by bringing a child into this world when they may not be ready or have the choice to decide otherwise. Finally, you are supporting the confidentiality and integrity of victims of sexual abuse.

*The pronoun "their" is used in place of "her" as found in the language of SB 404

*Source: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/404/BillText/er/HTML