The House on Wednesday in a bipartisan vote of 270-157 passed the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.
The bill protects minors from being taking across state lines for secret abortions without their parents’ knowledge, and prevents abortionists from doing abortions on out-of-state teens in the absence of parental involvement or judicial authorization.
«Yesterday’s vote affirms the proposition that parents should be involved in abortion decisions affecting their teen-age daughters — even when their daughters are taken across state lines,» said Cathy Cleaver Ruse, a spokeswoman for the bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.
«The practice of taking teens across state lines for secret abortions strikes at the heart of the family and the rights of parents,» said Ruse. «But more than that, it presents a grave danger to the girls who are subjected to an invasive surgical procedure without their medical history or records, and with no medical follow-up or intervention.»
The bill now goes to the Senate, which previously has failed to take action on this type of legislation.
