Amendment 4 is an abortion rights question. It would remove the government’s ability to block or delay the decision to end a pregnancy before the fetus is “viable” and/or to protect the life of the mother.
More than a million voters signed petitions to get Amendment 4 on the ballot after Florida lawmakers moved to restrict abortion in Florida, first to 15 weeks, and currently to six weeks.
Amendment 4 ensures that terminating a pregnancy before viability is legal healthcare.
What does viability mean? Technically, it means “able to survive,” and in this context, the ability for a fetus to survive outside the womb.
Legal abortion until viability was Florida’s long-standing law prior to recent restrictions, and is recognized by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as an individual determination, around the 24th week.
Amendment 4 does not change lawmakers’ authority to require parents to be notified before a minor has an abortion. And it does not change lawmakers authority to regulate medical services, as it does with other procedures.
The state will retain the responsibility of ensuring healthcare providers are trained and competent, and facilities are safe.
Amendment 4 essentially rewinds abortion access to the pre-2022 Florida law in Florida statutes and enshrines it in the state Constitution.
A “yes” vote on Amendment 4 returns the decision of whether to terminate a pregnancy before viability to women and their healthcare providers.
A “no” vote keeps abortion illegal in Florida after 6 weeks, with some exceptions, including for victims of sex crimes, and to save the life of the mother if two doctors approve and authorize.