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.