Indiana House advances bill to strengthen parental consent for minors seeking abortion

The Indiana House of Representatives has approved a legislation that is aimed at strengthening parental notification requirements for minors seeking abortion.

Senate Bill 404, authored by Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem), was passed by the state House in a 75–23 vote on Tuesday.

Under Indiana's current law, minors are required to obtain a parent's permission before undergoing an abortion, but girls can request that a judge give them permission instead of their parents.

Houchin's legislation would require that parents be notified of their pregnant child's intent to have an abortion if she requests a judicial bypass. However, the measure contains an exemption if the judge decides that it is in the girl's best interest not to notify her parents.

The bill would also penalize individuals who may help a minor avoid the state parental notification requirements, according to Luxora Leader.

The legislation was opposed by some Democratic lawmakers, who said that it still impedes the right to an abortion, particularly adding uncertainty for teens who are victims of rape or incest.

Democratic Rep. Linda Lawson of Hammond expressed concern that adding obstacles to abortion for young women would result in cases of child abuse and neglect.

House Minority Leader Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City) said that the legislation was unclear if it would penalize, for example, a relative such as an aunt who helps a minor travel to another state for an abortion.

Republicans defended the measure by saying that parents should be informed if their daughters wanted to obtain an abortion. "Somebody has to care for that young girl," said Rep. Thomas Washburne (R-Evansville).

There are currently 37 states that implement laws requiring some form of parental involvement in a minor's abortion. A Gallup poll has indicated that 71 percent of Americans support parental notification laws.

Life News noted that there have been several cases when sexual abusers have taken young victims to abortion clinics when they became pregnant.

In Ohio, a Planned Parenthood clinic was sued after it failed to report the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl. A soccer coach had reportedly raped the teenager and tried to cover up his crime by taking her to the abortion clinic.

In 2013, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) noted that in one state, there had been 3,573 petitions to bypass parents in a period of 4 1/2 years, and only nine requests were denied.

"Parents are, for the most part, not given the opportunity to consent, they are not given the opportunity to be consulted, they are totally bypassed," said NRLC's Mary Spaulding Balch.

"The abortion industry masterfully manipulates this judicial bypass loophole by getting their own attorneys appointed by the court to shepherd pregnant minors through the intimidating judicial system and the abortion is performed before anyone can take a breath," she added.