Body Piercing Measure Removed From Washington House Calendar Due to Concerns About Abortion-Rights Consequences

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 16 Mar 2005 - 19:00 PDT

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Washington state lawmakers last week removed from the state House calendar a body piercing regulation measure because of concerns that the measure could be used to restrict minors' reproductive rights in the future, the... Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Although the legislation seemed likely to pass the state Legislature this session, the state Senate also has not scheduled a vote on a companion measure. State Rep. Sherry Appleton (D), who sponsored the House bill, said that some Democrats expressed concern that, because the bill would require parental consent for piercings on minors, conservatives might later use the measure to convince lawmakers that minors who seek abortions or contraception also should require parental consent. Although the measure would not explicitly require parental consent for piercings, the House measure would require the state Department of Health to write and enforce rules regarding body piercing and suggest that the health department consider adopting the Professional Piercers' standards, which require parents to consent and be present when their minor child is undergoing a piercing. The deadline for voting on the state House and Senate measures is Wednesday, according to the Post-Intelligencer (Heckman, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/14).

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