Washington, DC— Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R), along with Senator Rick Scott (R) and other Republican senatorial colleagues, have reintroduced the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.
Citing instances of pregnant college students erroneously concluding they have no institutional support to carry a pregnancy, the act aims to increase awareness of existing pregnancy support avenues.
If passed, the law would compel universities to receive federal funds to execute informational campaigns to educate students on available on-campus pregnancy support resources.
“Pregnant college students can sometimes feel singled out by their schools and aren't aware of resources and rights available to them and their unborn baby,” said Senator Rubio.
Reintroduced the Pregnant Students Rights Act with my colleagues to protect and support college women and their babies.https://t.co/omgytqZab4
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) September 28, 2023
According to a 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27.6 percent of all abortions in the United States are performed on college-aged women.
“There are so many organizations working to support new and soon-to-be moms, and making sure they know about these resources is critical to protecting them and their unborn child,” said Senator Scott.
Universities offering abortions as part of their pregnancy support services are exempt from the informational outreach requirements imposed by the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.
Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 15-week abortion ban. The court’s decision is heavily anticipated, and it is expected to be released in the coming months.
Regardless of the court’s decisions, lobbying groups have already started requesting signatures to place a provision on the 2024 general election ballot that could amend Florida’s Constitution to explicitly guarantee the right to abortion. The potential amendment would have to receive 60% or more of Florida voters' support to go into effect.
