We can all agree that people should be able to seek justice and financial compensation if someone's negligence causes the loss of their pregnancy, as Florida law already allows. However, a proposed bill, HB 1517, could have serious consequences that make it much harder for patients to access important reproductive health care.

The sponsors of this bill want you to think they proposed it because expectant parents don’t have the right to seek justice if someone’s negligence causes the loss of their pregnancy. But the truth is, they already have that right. This is an attempt to rewrite the law to treat embryos and fetuses the same as living children, part of a long-term strategy to further strip away our freedom to make personal health care decisions.

We've seen the harmful consequences of laws like this in other states, where they've been used to try to ban abortion entirely, shut down fertility treatments like IVF, and put patients at risk of losing emergency care or cancer treatments solely because they're pregnant.

Every pregnancy is unique with complex circumstances that can change at any point along the way. Attempts at one-size-fits-all bills regulating pregnancy take away a patient's right to make all kinds of decisions about their health. Floridians deserve the freedom to make these personal health decisions without intrusion from politicians. Feel free to customize the letter below (optional).