Tampa Bay Abortion Fund Builds Practical Support Capacity in Light of
Six-Week Abortion Ban
TBAF will continue assisting people in the Tampa Bay area seeking abortions outside of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, FL — March 7, 2023 — Today, members of the Florida Legislature filed Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 7, which would ban abortion in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy. These cruel, extreme bills would effectively cut off abortion access within the state for the vast majority of Floridians, as most people do not know they are pregnant until around or after the six-week point of pregnancy.
Despite the new hurdles SB 300 and HB 7 would create if passed, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is fully committed to helping pregnant people in the Tampa Bay area access and pay for abortion care — even if it’s outside of Florida.
“Abortion is essential healthcare, and while they might make it significantly harder to do so, no politician can stop us from accessing our basic right to abortion,” says Kris Lawler, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund Board President. “We plan to collaborate with our incredible partners, including abortion funds and clinics, in other states to ensure any Tampa Bay-area resident who comes to us seeking an abortion gets one on their terms as quickly as possible.”
Since Florida’s 15-week ban went into effect July 1, 2022, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund has assisted hundreds of Floridians who needed to seek abortion care outside of Florida with funding and logistics support for their abortion, transportation, hotel stays, and other needs. In 2022, TBAF funded:
- $60,000 in practical support (hotels, airfare, ground transportation, etc.) — a 650% increase from 2021, and 90% of which was pledged after July 1
- $1,150 in practical support, on average, to Floridians traveling to another state for their abortion (this does not include the cost of the abortion itself)
- 50-plus Floridians per month traveling to another state for their abortion
“Every caller to TBAF is already facing one or more barriers to care, such as a lack of funding, transportation, childcare, or a nearby abortion clinic in their community. SB 300 and HB 7 will only exacerbate those barriers in the cruelest fashion,” Lawler says. “Based on the number of callers we’ve seen since the 15-week ban took effect, we anticipate that 90% or more of our callers will be impacted by a six-week abortion ban and will need to seek abortion care outside of Florida. We will be here to help them do that.”
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is calling on the Tampa Bay community to help spread the message about abortion options, including self-managed abortion, and continue funding abortion care. TBAF recently launched their 2023 Fund-a-Thon campaign to raise $50,000 for practical support and abortion care costs and is hosting a kick-off party at c.1949 (6905 N. Orleans Ave., Tampa, 33604) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. To learn more about our upcoming events, donate, volunteer, host a fundraiser or join the 2023 Fund-a-Thon, visit tbafund.com.
ABOUT TAMPA BAY ABORTION FUND:
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund removes financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. It specifically assists pregnant people needing support seeking abortion at abortion providers in several counties surrounding Tampa Bay. TBAF currently assists callers with appointments at clinics around Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota, and Lakeland and also supports Tampa Bay residents receiving care at our partner clinics outside of Florida.
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CONTACT:
McKenna Kelley
mckenna@tbafund.com
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund 