Texas House Committee Considering Bill To Require Parental Consent for Minors Seeking Abortion

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 28 Apr 2005 - 9:00 PDT

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The Texas House State Affairs Committee on Monday approved 6-3 a bill... (HB 1212) that would require parental consent for minors seeking abortion, the Houston Chronicle reports (Gilbert, Houston Chronicle, 4/27). Under current state law, parents of minors seeking abortion must be notified 48 hours before the procedure. The measure would require abortion providers to gain parental consent before performing an abortion on a minor but would allow minors to obtain a judicial bypass to avoid parental consent (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/18). The measure originally included a provision that would have allowed the names and rulings of judges in judicial bypass cases to become public, but that section was rewritten after provision opponents said it would have exposed judges to "political pressure," the Dallas Morning News reports. Abortion-rights supporters have expressed concern about a provision in the bill that would allow minors to seek judicial bypass only in their home county or the county in which the abortion procedure would occur, the Morning News reports. Current law allows minors to seek judicial bypass in any county, which supporters of the measure say has led to minors "shopping for friendly judges," according to the Morning News (Hoppe, Dallas Morning News, 4/25). The measure also would make it a crime for parents or any other person to force a minor to undergo an abortion (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/18). Although some bill opponents expressed concern about the provision, state Rep. Phil King (R), who sponsored the measure, said the provision is necessary to prevent older men from covering up statutory rape by coercing a minor into having an abortion without parental consent, the Morning News reports (Dallas Morning News, 4/25). Under the bill, those convicted of coercing a minor to undergo an abortion would face between 180 days and two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000 (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/18). The bill is expected to be heard by the state House. The Senate State Affairs Committee currently is considering a companion bill (SB 1150) (Houston Chronicle, 4/27).

"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.

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