State Parental Notification Laws To Be Made Effective Across State Lines

Child Custody Protection Act S.8+ Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) H.R. 748.   S.8, introduced in January by Sen. John Ensign, has no co-sponsors from New York. The House companion bill, H.R. 748 was introduced in February by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and also has many co-sponsors including King and Fossella from NY state.

Both bills would make it a crime to take a minor across state lines for a secret abortion, in violation of parents’ right to be notified.  Some states, but not New York, have laws requiring parental notification.  In those states, often, someone, not a parent, will take a pregnant girl to a neighboring state which does not require parental notification.

In 1998, Gloria Feldt, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, estimated to The Washington Times that the “Child Custody Protection Act would affect thousands of teenage girls.”  Indeed, thousands of adults are also involved in helping minors cross state lines for abortions.

S.8 & H.R. 748 would greatly reduce transporting teens out of state for abortions.  It would ensure that state laws are not evaded through interstate activity, but will not encroach on individual state powers.  Most important would be the significant rise in protection of minor, pregnant girls as they become less likely to be taken out of state for an abortion by an acquaintance or stranger who would lack authority to obtain follow-up treatment should the girl be injured.

More co-sponsors are needed; support and voting for this bill are highly desirable as both daughters and parents will benefit.

ACTION ALERT

Please contact Senators Clinton and Schumer to ask that they co sponsor and vote for S.8.  Also, ask your U.S. House of Representatives member to co sponsor and vote for H.R. 748 (CIANA).  Give some reasons for your support; ask for a response, not a form letter, about what they will do about this bill. 

Both bills need additional co-sponsors now.  Also, there is no way of predicting when they might come up for a vote so your representative and the two NY Senators must hear of constituent desires immediately.

Updated on RARTL Feb 2005