ORLANDO, Florida (LifeSiteNews) — An abortion facility could go bankrupt for failing to follow a pro-life law that requires a 24-hour waiting period before a woman can abort her baby.
Under the law, women seeking an abortion must make two visits to the abortion facility at least 24 hours apart.
The Orlando Women’s Center received notice that it could be fined $193,000 for 193 violations of the law between April 26 to May 11, according to local news site News 6. The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) informed the facility of the fines.
The abortion facility’s attorney told the media that the fine could “bankrupt” the facility.
“Shortly after the Tallahassee Judge’s ruling allowing the 24-hour waiting period to go into effect, AHCA began inspecting abortion clinics around the state for compliance with the new requirement,” attorney Julie Gallagher told News 6. “The clinic owner made numerous efforts to contact AHCA and learn the effective date of the new requirement. AHCA never provided any guidance to clinics on the ‘start date’ of the new law and instead, arbitrarily, picked a date in late April.”
READ: California gov. Gavin Newsom announces taxpayer-funded abortion resource website
The News 6 article erroneously states that the ruling was made on April 25, giving readers the impression that the facility had just one day to implement the requirements. Leon County Judge Angela Dempsey issued the official, final judgement on April 25, but first announced her decision on April 8.
The AP reported that another abortion facility began implementing the requirements in anticipation of the ruling.
LifeSiteNews contacted the AHCA on Wednesday morning to ask for comment on Gallagher’s claims of not receiving proper guidance as well as for a copy of the complaint filed against the abortion facility and what the next steps are in the process.
The state agency has not responded.
Attorneys for the state recently filed arguments with the state’s supreme court and urged it to allow Florida to prohibit abortions at 15-weeks. Governor Ron DeSantis’ spokesman Bryan Griffin told LifeSiteNews that a favorable ruling could lead to further pro-life legislation.