Florida nears abortion ban after 15 weeks

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has likewise signaled his support for the bill.

Enactment in the Tallahassee statehouse would significantly reduce access to late-term abortions for women across the US Southeast, many of whom travel hundreds of kilometres to end pregnancies in Florida because of stricter abortion laws in surrounding states.

Republican lawmakers around the country have introduced bills mirroring a 15-week abortion ban enacted by Mississippi in 2018 and now under review by the Supreme Court on appeal after lower courts struck down the measure as unconstitutional.

Arizona's Senate and West Virginia's House passed similar 15-week abortion bans on Tuesday.