The Florida Senate

390.012  Powers of agency; rules; disposal of fetal remains.--

(1)  The agency shall have the authority to develop and enforce rules for the health, care, and treatment of persons in abortion clinics and for the safe operation of such clinics. These rules shall be comparable to rules which apply to all surgical procedures requiring approximately the same degree of skill and care as the performance of first trimester abortions. The rules shall be reasonably related to the preservation of maternal health of the clients. The rules shall not impose a legally significant burden on a woman's freedom to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy. The rules shall provide for:

(a)  The performance of pregnancy termination procedures only by a licensed physician.

(b)  The making, protection, and preservation of patient records, which shall be treated as medical records under chapter 458.

(2)  The agency may adopt and enforce rules, in the interest of protecting the public health, to ensure the prompt and proper disposal of fetal remains and tissue resulting from pregnancy termination.

(3)  If any owner, operator, or employee of an abortion clinic fails to dispose of fetal remains and tissue in a manner consistent with the disposal of other human tissue in a competent professional manner, the license of such clinic may be suspended or revoked, and such person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083

History.--s. 2, ch. 78-382; s. 1, ch. 80-413; s. 1, ch. 86-286; ss. 1, 4, 5, ch. 88-97; s. 65, ch. 91-224; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 5, ch. 97-151.