Actions Taken On Abortion, Teen Pregnancy-Related Legislation In Arkansas, Idaho, North Dakota, Texas

April 7, 2007 – 4:20 pm | posted in Abortion, Pregnancy

The following highlights recent news coverage of state actions on abortion- and teen pregnancy-related legislation.

Arkansas: The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Monday by voice vote rejected a bill (SB 871) that would have required facilities that perform abortions to post signs informing patients that no one can force them to have the procedure, the Arkansas News Bureau reports. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sharon Trusty (R), would have required any facility where abortions are performed to post in all waiting rooms, consultation rooms and admission areas used by women seeking abortions signs saying, “Notice: By Law, we cannot perform an abortion on you unless we have your freely given and voluntary consent. It is against the law to perform an abortion on you against your will” (Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau, 3/27). The measure also would have levied a $1,000 fine on any facility where abortions are performed for every day the sign was not posted, and it would have allowed lawsuits to be filed against clinics that did not inform patients that no one can force them to have an abortion. The legislation is similar to a recently approved House bill (HB 2768) that would require physicians to inform patients that no one can force them to have an abortion, the Associated Press reports (Associated Press, 3/26).
Idaho: Gov. C.L. Otter (R) on Tuesday signed into law a bill (SB 1082) that requires minors seeking abortions to get permission from a parent or guardian before receiving the procedure, the AP/LocalNews8 reports. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Russ Fulcher (R), requires all unemancipated, unmarried minors seeking abortions to get consent from a parent or guardian or permission from a judge. A judge can approve the procedure in cases of incest, abuse, a medical emergency or if a minor is mature enough to decide on her own. Courts have declared previous parental consent laws passed by the state to be unconstitutional. Fulcher said the new law is constitutional because it protects the anonymity of minors seeking abortions. The law takes effect July 1 (AP/LocalNews8, 3/27).
North Dakota: The House by a 46-46 vote failed to pass a measure (SB 2181) that would have allowed minors seeking abortion to access confidential prenatal care without consent of a parent or guardian, the AP/Bismarck Tribune reports. Current state law requires a doctor to have permission from a parent or guardian to treat pregnant minors. The legislation, which the Senate voted 46-0 to pass in January, would have allowed a pregnant minor to see a doctor privately, but she could not undergo an abortion without parental consent. A physician would have been allowed to inform parents of pregnancy-related care without the consent of the girl if the doctor believed doing so would be beneficial, according to the AP/Tribune. The bill would have required health care providers to encourage their patients to tell their parents or guardians about the pregnancy. The legislation needed at least 48 votes to pass in the House (Wetzel, AP/Bismarck Tribune, 3/23).
Texas: Sen. Dan Patrick (R) last week introduced a bill (SB 1567) that would give $500 to women considering abortion who instead choose to deliver the fetus and put the infant up for adoption, the Houston Chronicle reports. Opponents of the bill say that it fails to recognize the complex issues involved in deciding to place an infant for adoption and that it could be considered “baby selling,” the Chronicle reports. It is illegal in Texas to give something of value to someone for the purpose of adopting a child, although exceptions are made for pregnancy-related expenses that benefit the pregnant woman, the Chronicle reports (Elliott, Houston Chronicle, 3/23). Adam Pertman, head of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, said women should be able to consider all options equally, adding, “Introducing money into the mix can be coercive.” Fran Hagerty of the Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas said the bill is “insulting” to women (AP/Dallas Morning News, 3/23). Patrick said that if the bill “change the mind of 5%” of the 75,000 women who underwent abortion in Texas in 2006, then about 3,000 infants would have been delivered (Reuters, 3/23). The bill, which does not have any co-sponsors, was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee (Houston Chronicle, 3/23).

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