Florida lawmakers delayed the advancement of a bill that would define a fetus as an "unborn child" and expand liability for wrongful death lawsuits for unborn children.
The legislation would revise language for civil lawsuits and allow "parents of an unborn child to recover certain damages" in cases of a "negligent" death, CNN reported.
Although the bill passed through most committees in the GOP-led Florida legislature, Democrats raised concerns last week that the proposal could impact in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.
The news follows the Alabama Supreme Court ruling Feb. 16 that frozen embryos are "children" and deserve the same legal rights as other "unborn children."
The Florida bill was scheduled for a vote Monday in the Senate Rules Committee, but its sponsor, Republican state Sen. Erin Grall, requested a postponement, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
"Although I have worked diligently to respond to questions and concerns, I understand there is still work that needs to be done," Grall said in a statement, according to the Times. "It is important we get the policy right with an issue of this significance."
State Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, the bill's sponsor in the Florida House, said the bill is about the "value of the life of an unborn child" and was not meant to be a hard look at protections for IVF and embryos, The Washington Post reported.
Supporters said the bill would bring civil law in line with state criminal law, which allows for additional penalties against people charged with harming a pregnant woman.
Opponents said the bill is written too broadly and would put abortion providers at risk of being sued, as well as people who help women obtain an abortion.
"We are exposing the health care provider to liability if something goes wrong," Democrat state Rep. Dotie Joseph said, the Post reported. "You have a situation where you are creating a chilling effect for people who are proactively trying to have a baby."
The abortion issue is expected to affect voters nationwide and in the state of Florida during the November general election.
The Florida Supreme Court is weighing whether to allow a proposed amendment that would codify abortion rights in the state constitution on the ballot. The court in September also heard arguments in a legal challenge to the state's 15-week abortion ban, ABC News reported.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.