| House passes minor transportation ban |
|
18 Apr 2002
The so-called "Child Custody Protection Act" (CCPA, HR476
) would make it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines
in order to help her obtain an abortion in a state that does not
require parental involvement. On April 18, the House of Representatives
approved the bill 260-161. About half the states require a minor to involve one or both of her parents in her decision to have an abortion, either by notifying them several days before the abortion or by getting their written consent. (It's important to note that no laws currently require parental involvement for a minor to carry a pregnancy to term or place a child for adoption.) Studies show that the majority of teenagers voluntarily talk to their parents before an abortion. Parental consent/notification laws fall most heavily on teenagers from troubled families, and in many cases result in weeks of delay before a minor has an abortion. The Child Custody Protection Act would intensify the harmful effects of these laws. When a minor chooses to travel to another state for an abortion, this bill would make it illegal for anyone but a parent to go with her. Teenagers from troubled families in states with parental involvement laws would no longer be able to turn to a trusted adult like an aunt, grandparent, or older sibling, and would be forced to deal with their pregnancies alone. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has said that CCPA may be unconstitutional because it allows the government of one state to set parental involvement policy for residents of other states. The House has passed CCPA three times before, but the Senate has not yet acted on it, and is not expected to pick it up this year. |
