Florida’s abortion funding organizations held an advocacy day in Tallahassee Wednesday urging lawmakers to support women who need to travel out of state for procedures.
The Florida Senate passed a bill on Monday that bans abortion after six weeks and also prohibits state agencies, cities, counties or universities from spending money for woman to travel to another state to receive abortion care.
The city of St. Petersburg has proposed an allocation of $50,000 for the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, which helps women from the area travel to get abortion care if they are further along than 15 weeks, the current limit in the state.
“Abortion funds exist because people need healthcare and can’t afford it,” said Kris Lawler, board president for Tampa Bay Abortion Fund. “We are donation-based.”
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Florida has five abortion funding organizations based in the state, two that are multi-state and offer support to Florida residents, and four national groups that provide assistance in every state.
Requests from women in Florida for financial support to travel for abortions has risen 200% to 300% in the last year, directors of the organizations say. The increase in demand follows Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing a 15-week ban into law last April. The law does not have exemptions for rape or incest and is being challenged in the Florida Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, funding group directors held a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda, met with lawmakers, and left pamphlets in legislators’ offices to educate them on the role of abortion funds. The funds are independent, grassroots organizations that help women pay for abortions and travel costs as well as assisting with logistics. Each group works differently in what costs they cover and for whom.
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“We wanted to introduce the concept to legislators that we are a resource to the people in the communities they represent,” said Stephanie Loraine Piñeiro, the co-executive director of the Florida Access Network, one of the Florida-based organizations. “We are nonprofit and we are not affiliated with any political party.”
The bill banning abortion after six weeks, with some exceptions, would be one of the strictest in the country and still needs to pass the GOP-led House where a near-identical version has advanced out of committee. It could go to a floor vote in the House as soon as next week.
Rep. Anna Eskamani said the language prohibiting government financial support for abortion travel is in the House bill, too, and she sees little hope that it will be taken out.
“It is not uncommon for the state to preempt local governments,” she said.
Eskamani participated in the news conference on Wednesday and said the majority of women who want to terminate a pregnancy are more than six weeks along.
“Floridians will need to leave the state for abortions, and the funds play an essential role in providing access to care,” she said.
The funding groups accomplished their goal Wednesday of bringing attention to their ongoing role, Piñeiro said. “We were able to give some lawmakers more understanding of what it take to help someone get abortion care. We were able to shed light on what it costs and all the preparation before you get to appointment.”
The costs vary for women to travel from Florida to get an abortion depending on the closest airport, childcare needs and hotel stay. Should the six-week ban become law, the nearest state with fewer restrictions would be North Carolina.
Lawler said her fund already is preparing for a six-week ban and the spike in need that would create. “We already are reaching out to donors and supporters to get more help for women who will have to travel. We are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.”
Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.