For Immediate Release: January 13, 2026
President Julie Kent, Florida NOW, president@flnow.org
Orlando, FL — As Floridians struggle to pay their bills, keep food on the table, and navigate a health‑care system that is kicking thousands off their insurance plans, extremist lawmakers in Tallahassee are choosing to spend the very first week of the legislative session attacking our fundamental right to control our own bodies.
Instead of addressing the real crises facing Florida families, legislative leaders are rushing House Bill 289 — already being called the “Abusers’ Bill of Rights” — to a final vote in the House.
HB 289 lays the legal groundwork to grant fertilized eggs and embryos the same rights as living people. If passed, this bill would open the door to a future where lawyers, not doctors, determine the medical care a pregnant Floridian can receive — even in an emergency.
“This bill is a direct threat to women’s health and safety,” said Julie Kent, President FL NOW. “It hands politicians and lawyers unprecedented power over pregnancy, medical decisions, and the lives of Florida families. This is an outrageous violation of women’s rights.”
But the danger doesn’t stop there. HB 289 creates a system that empowers and financially rewards abusers and rapists, allowing them to sue after a pregnancy loss or abortion — even when they are the ones who caused the harm. By inviting abusive partners to weaponize the courts, this bill puts survivors at even greater risk.
What could happen under HB 289?
- Abusive partners sue their ex-girlfriends’ friends, doctors, and anyone they believe helped her access an abortion.
- Pregnant patients struggle to find emergency care because doctors must consult with lawyers before intervening — if they intervene at all.
- IVF and fertility centers shut down as liability insurance becomes unaffordable.
- Patients are investigated for miscarriages and pregnancy losses, treated as suspects instead of patients.
- Cancer patients are denied life‑saving treatment solely because they are pregnant.
- Employers quietly lay off pregnant workers out of fear they could be sued if an employee miscarries.
Make no mistake: HB 289 is part of a long‑term strategy to make reproductive health care — including abortion, IVF, and emergency care — impossible to access in Florida.
FL NOW calls on lawmakers to:
- Reject HB 289 and any attempt to establish fetal personhood
- Protect survivors of domestic and sexual violence from legal retaliation
- Safeguard access to IVF, emergency care, and reproductive technologies
- Prioritize real issues facing Floridians — including healthcare access, maternal mortality, and economic stability
“Floridians deserve lawmakers who fight for their safety and freedom,” Debbie Deland, VP FL NOW, said. “HB 289 does the opposite. These extremist lawmakers don’t care about the lives of pregnant women. It is unconscionable. We urge every legislator who claims to care about women, families, and survivors to vote NO.”
Take Action
Call your legislator today and tell them we will not stand for giving abusers the legal right — and financial incentive — to harass pregnant patients and the people who support them. We will not stand for endangering pregnant women’s lives.
