TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In a motion filed Monday, the Florida Supreme Court accepted a request by abortion providers to hear arguments in their case against House Bill 5 (HB 5), a controversial ban put in place on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
“In view of this Court’s longstanding precedent, I conclude that the petitioners have met the exacting burden required for this Court to stay the First District Court of Appeal’s decision pending review in this Court,” the filing said.
While the court agreed to hear arguments in the case, justices declined to immediately block HB 5 while the lawsuit proceeds, leaving the ban in place for now.
Currently, the law bars physicians from performing “a termination of pregnancy if the physician determines the gestational age of the fetus is more than 15 weeks,” though it does provide an exception in cases where a fetus “has a fatal fetal abnormality” that prevents it from achieving viability.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has expressed his willingness to expand Florida’s abortion restrictions but has avoided giving specifics for what he supports. Other Republican lawmakers have shared similar intentions and are widely expected to shorten the 15-week ban to anywhere from 12 to six weeks.
“We have pro-life majorities in both chambers,” Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R-Flagler) previously said. “I can guarantee you that members on both sides have very different opinions about what it means to be pro-life.”
The court will schedule oral arguments in a separate order.