Washington Post Examines Federal Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 01 May 2005 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions

The Washington Post on Friday examined the federal Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act... (HR 748), would allow federal charges to be filed against any individual who transports a minor across state lines to have an abortion without parental involvement. The House approved the measure on Wednesday (Allen, Washington Post, 4/29). The bill would authorize fines of up to $100,000 or up to one year in prison for people who violate the measure and also could penalize doctors who perform abortions on minors from other states. The measure states that abortion providers in states without parental consent or notification laws would be required to attempt to notify in person or by certified mail a parent or legal guardian of any minor seeking abortion who is a resident of a state that has a parental involvement law (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 4/28). However, the bill includes three exceptions for this requirement. The provider would not be required to notify a parent if the minor shows documentation of a judicial bypass, if she signs a statement saying she is a victim of neglect or physical or sexual abuse by a parent or if her life is in danger, the Post reports (Washington Post, 4/29). Under the measure, parents who are not notified of their minor child's abortion would be able to sue for civil damages. The bill also would require a 24-hour waiting period for any minor who has traveled to another state for an abortion, regardless of whether she is accompanied by a parent (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 4/28). Because no committee action on the bill is required in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) could place the legislation on the floor at "any time," according to the Post. President Bush -- "who comments on only a small fraction of bills" -- has urged the Senate to approve the measure, the Post reports (Washington Post, 4/29).

Philadelphia Inquirer Examines Bill's Effect on Pa. Minors
The Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday examined the potential effects of the federal measure on minors living in Pennsylvania. Many women and girls who live in Pennsylvania travel to other states to obtain abortions because only 12 of the 67 counties in the state have abortion providers. The bill might make getting abortions more difficult for minor girls because Pennsylvania's abortion laws are stricter than those in neighboring states, according to the Inquirer. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in a statement said the federal measure is "necessary to curb repeated violations of Pennsylvania law," the Inquirer reports (Pappas, Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/29). The complete article is available online.

Washington Post

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.