A bill (HB 1247) that strengthens a 2005 law requiring a parent to be notified if a minor is getting an abortion passed the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
The bill requires a notarized form if a girl’s parent wants to waive the right to be notified. It also requires more steps that a doctor must take to try to notify parents before performing an abortion on a minor.
The bill also gives courts a longer time to rule on whether a teen can bypass the notice requirement, giving them three days instead of 48 hours. It also removes a provision that grants a teen the ability to get the abortion if a court fails to decide on their petition.
Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Hollywood, said the bill is “making (teens) lives more difficult and taking away the rights that women have and even making family’s burdens greater.”
Supporters said it closes loopholes that allow judges to approve a teen’s petition to not inform their parents in most cases.
The Senate version (SB 1770) also passed the Health Regulation Committee on Tuesday.
The Republican-controlled Legislature has pushed this year more than in other recent years for bills aimed at making it more difficult to get an abortion, with more than a dozen bills filed this year on the issue.
