Parental Notification - Federal Legislation

This is a notice from the National Right to Life Committee, with links to information on their website with related information on government sites.

All members of the U.S. House of Representatives should be urged to immediately cosponsor the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (H.R. 748). The bill is a top priority of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).

The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA, pronounced "SEE-anna") was introduced on February 10, 2005, by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl.), with 105 original cosponsors. You can check the always-current list of cosponsors, arranged by state here.

All pro-life groups and citizens are encouraged to contact U.S. House members to urge them to cosponsor H.R. 748, or to thank those who have already done so. All House offices may be reached by telephone through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 (when provided with the caller's zip code, the operator will transfer the call to the appropriate House member's office). The NRLC Legislative Action Center makes it easy to send appropriate e-mails to any U.S. House member regarding this legislation; go here to employ this useful aid for grassroots lobbying.

GENERAL TALKING POINTS ON THE CHILD INTERSTATE ABORTION NOTIFICATION ACT (CIANA)

Over 30 states have enacted parental notification or parental consent laws. (To view or download a fact sheet on these laws, click here. However, these laws are often circumvented by minors traveling or being transported to other states that do not have parental notification requirements, often under pressure from older boyfriends or at the urging of abortion providers. In order to protect the welfare of minor girls and the rights of parents, Congress has a duty to regulate this interstate activity.

The CIANA requires any abortionist to notify a parent before performing an abortion on a minor who is a resident of another state, unless the minor has already received authorization from a court in her home state, or unless the abortionist is already required to provide such parental notification by a current law in the state in which he practices. If the minor asserts that she is the victim of abuse, the abortionist would notify the appropriate state child abuse agency instead of a parent.

H.R. 748 also incorporates the provisions of the "Child Custody Protection Act," a bill originally proposed in 1998, under which it would be a federal offense to transport a minor across state lines for an abortion without fulfilling the requirements of a parental notification law in effect in the home state.

Parental notification and parental consent laws are supported by overwhelming majorities of the public -- exceeding 80% in some polls. For a sampling of public opinion polls on this issue, please click here.

For additional information on the parental notification issue, visit the NRLC website page on parental notification here.

Read about this bill

Other pro-life legislation:

Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (H.R. 356)

Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (S.51)

Child Custody Protection Act (S. 8)

Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) (H.R. 748)

H.R.216 Informed Choice Act (aid for ultrasound machines)  

Updated on RARTL April 14, 2005