Florida has taken a step to protect the sanctity of life in utero, with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) recently signing HB 5 into law. The law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. 

“House Bill 5 protects babies in the womb who have beating hearts, who can move, who can taste, who can see, and who can feel pain,” DeSantis said in a release. “Life is a sacred gift worthy of our protection, and I am proud to sign this great piece of legislation which represents the most significant protections for life in the state’s modern history.” 

As part of the law, the release says the state will be allocating $1.6 million to the Department of Health for research and education related to fetal and infant mortality. 

DeSantis also recently signed HB 7065 into law, which aims to support fatherhood in Florida through mentorship programs, educational programs, and one-on-one support, the release said.

It is no surprise that DeSantis signed HB 5. In January, he said, "I think if you look at what's been done in some of these other states – I mean when you start talking about 15 weeks where you have really serious pain and heartbeats and all this stuff – having protections I think is something that makes a lot of sense.”

Prior to HB 5 being signed, Florida permitted a woman to have an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy.

Catholics believe life starts at conception, and the Church has long called for more restrictions on ending pregnancies, according to the American Catholic Tribune. That belief is substantiated by the fact that fetuses develop a heartbeat at 6 weeks. 

HB 5 is the latest in a series of pro-life, pro-family moves by DeSantis. The release says he has also signed into law SB 404, which requires minors to obtain parental consent before undergoing an abortion; removed sales taxes from diapers and baby clothes; allocated more than $86 million for prenatal care and pregnancy support; and allocated $360 million to "support permanency efforts in foster care.”