*Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis has signed an abortion bill that requires victims of incest and rape to provide proof of the sexual assault before exemptions are granted.
The Republican governor signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law on Thursday, which bans abortions after six weeks, per a press release.
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” said DeSantis in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”
The six-week abortion ban requires victims of rape, human trafficking, and incest to provide documentation such as police reports or medical records before they can terminate a pregnancy. Social media users have dubbed such documents as “rape papers”.
READ MORE: How Florida’s New Abortion Ban Affected Two Friends, Nearly Killing One | VIDEO
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has condemned the legislation.
“This ban would prevent four million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant,” said Jean-Pierre said in a statement released Thursday. “This ban would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in abortion-banning states throughout the South, many of whom have previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.”
Many social media users have expressed outrage over the ban, with one Twitter user writing, “So, let me get this straight. In Florida, you can carry a firearm in public without a permit. But if a woman’s raped, she needs to show her rape papers to get an abortion? Ron DeSantis must never ever be allowed to be president.”
Another user commented, “I’m trying to figure out what rape papers are. Like do cops give you a scarlet letter that says you were raped? Also, let’s say you’re raped and don’t know you’re pregnant. How would you be able to prove it if you didn’t report it at the time?”
A third wrote, “Not to mention, those women who do not realize they’re pregnant until after six weeks, Florida now owns your body.”
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