Republican Governor signs six-week abortion ban into law.

Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill banning most abortions after six weeks, paving the way for drastic changes in access to the procedure across the state.

Opponents argue six weeks is before many women know they are pregnant.

The law will not go into effect until a court rules on an ongoing legal challenge to the existing 15-week ban.

"We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida," the governor said in a statement.

He claimed the law would "defend the dignity of human life and transform Florida into a pro-family state".

The state has been a safe haven for those seeking abortion in the country's south-east since Roe v Wade - which gave women in the US the constitutional right to abortion - was overturned last year.

The state's current 15-week limit on abortion is one of the most lenient in the south-east, with many travelling from other states to Florida to have the procedure.

The six-week ban makes exceptions for abortions in cases of rape or incest, as long as the woman can provide documentation such as a police report or a restraining order.

Mr DeSantis' signed the bill late Thursday night just hours after Florida's Republican-led House of Representatives approved the ban on Thursday, with 70 voting for and 40 voting against. It had been passed in the state Senate on 3 April.

Democrats remain resolute in there commitment to protect reproductive rights and freedoms.

Democrat leadership affirms all individuals have a right to bodily autonomy, that abortion is health care, and that all individuals have the right to freedom of choice in accessing essential health care services most especially their reproductive health.

Resources

Take Action

• The Roe Act and the Path Forward for our Nation: Hyperlocal Organizing Starting Now
• Planned Parenthood's Congressional Scorecard

NASW National

• Roe Provided Autonomy, Self-Determination: Privacy Rights May Prove Vital Since Court Overturned Abortion Law
• Reproductive Rights and Voting Rights Take Center Stage Across the Nation
• Reproductive Decision Making: Acting To Help Clients
• Webinar: Reproductive Decision Making: Acting To Help Clients
• Provide Quality Healthcare for All
• NASW National Committee on Women's Issues
• Social Work and Public Policy

NASW Chapters

• Social Workers' Role in Abortion Access
• Roe v. Wade Overturned: Social Workers for Reproductive Justice
• The Roe Act and the Path Forward for Our Nation: Hyperlocal Organizing Starting Now

Social Work Blog Posts

• Reproductive Rights legal cases handled by the NASW Legal Defense Fund
• NASW on amicus brief before U.S. Supreme Court that seeks to overturn Texas abortion law
• Texas abortion law could put social workers in legal jeopardy: Please sign petition
• NASW National Committee on Women's Issues denounces attacks on reproductive rights
• Overturning Roe v. Wade will disproportionately affect people of color: Here is what social workers should know

Reproductive Rights Organizations and Resources

• Know Your Rights: Reproductive Health Care
• Women Have Options
• NARAL Pro-Choice America
• Planned Parenthood
• National Network of Abortion Funds
• Center for Reproductive Rights
• Status of Women in the United States