A Republican state lawmaker in Florida is proposing a invoice that will ban most abortions as early as round six weeks, permit members of the general public to sue anybody who helps finish a being pregnant past that time and wonderful physicians $10,000 for every abortion they carry out later in being pregnant.

Republican state Rep. Webster Barnaby filed the 40-page proposal — known as the “Florida Heartbeat Act” — on Wednesday. It might forestall physicians from performing abortions if there’s a “detectable fetal heartbeat,” successfully banning abortions after about six weeks into being pregnant, earlier than many individuals even know they’re pregnant.

Reproductive well being specialists have defined that the time period “fetal heartbeat” is deceptive and never really based mostly on science, as NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffins experiences. At six weeks, the ultrasound machine is detecting electrical exercise from cells that are not but a coronary heart, and the “sound” is definitely manufactured by the machine.

The phrase “fetus” itself is not technically correct till at the very least eight weeks into the being pregnant; reasonably “embryo” is the scientific time period at that stage of improvement. Regardless of this, Barnaby’s proposed invoice would change all references to “fetus” to “unborn baby” within the state’s abortion laws extra broadly, affecting different legal guidelines and rules. (NPR’s personal language steerage notes that “incorrectly calling a fetus a ‘child’ or ‘the unborn’ is a part of the technique utilized by antiabortion teams to shift language/legality/public opinion.”)

The proposed invoice would require physicians to check for “fetal heartbeats,” and says they can’t “knowingly carry out or induce an abortion” if one is detected.

The measure is drawing comparisons to the restrictive abortion legislation just lately handed in Texas, which the U.S. Supreme Courtroom declined to dam. Texas’ ban is among the many most restrictive within the nation, and has sowed fears that different states will observe go well with.

“This type of scheme to nullify the Structure of the USA is one that every one Individuals — no matter their politics or social gathering — ought to worry. If it prevails, it could grow to be a mannequin for motion in different areas, by different states, and with respect to different constitutional rights and judicial precedents,” mentioned U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland when asserting a U.S. Division of Justice lawsuit towards Texas earlier this month.

On the time, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled he might support similar legislation in his personal state, telling reporters that he wished to move stronger legal guidelines towards abortion however wanted extra details about the Texas legislation.

When requested about his invoice on the State Capitol on Wednesday, Barnaby said he had “no feedback at the moment.” Within the meantime, Florida Democrats are slamming his proposal.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani issued a statement calling it “a gross excuse of a invoice,” saying it “assaults ladies and birthing people who find themselves looking for an abortion” and “makes an attempt to imitate Texas” by making a course of for civil motion towards those who assist folks get hold of abortions.

“Abortion is healthcare, abortion is a personal medical choice, abortion is private — and there ought to be no politicians getting concerned between an individual and their physician,” she wrote. “I will add that that is an financial subject too: we’re already seeing companies in Texas contemplate relocating and/or permit their employees relocate to states which are extra welcoming in the direction of reproductive well being. We won’t entice a proficient, various workforce once we assault their rights.”

Nikki Fried, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture and Democratic candidate for governor, mentioned in a fundraising pitch that along with banning abortions earlier than most individuals know they’re pregnant, the proposal “turns Floridians towards each other by asking residents to implement this excessive legislation.”

This story initially appeared within the Morning Version stay weblog.