Teen Abortion Restriction Clears House Committee

Anyone who takes a pregnant teen to another state for an abortion without a parent’s knowledge could face federal prosecution under a bill that cleared a House panel Wednesday.

The House Judiciary Committee voted, 16-13, along party lines to send the bill to the full House for a vote, possibly as soon as next week.

Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.

The bill makes it a federal misdemeanor for someone other than the girl’s parent, guardian or legal custodian to take her to another state for an abortion if doing so violates parental involvement laws in the child’s home state.

The bill does not apply if the abortion was needed to save the girl’s life, and neither the girl nor any parent may be prosecuted or sued.

Violators face maximum penalties of a year in jail and $100,000 in fines, and parents whose daughters had abortions could pursue civil action.

Republicans portrayed the bill as an effort to uphold the rights of parents to be involved in the decisions of their minor daughters to have abortions. More than 30 states require parental consent or notification in such instances.

Supporters also contend it would protect vulnerable girls from being spirited away by adult men who get them pregnant and try to cover up their actions.

Democrats countered that the bill would endanger girls, particularly those who cannot turn to their parents because of abuse or other fears, by forcing them to undergo the procedure alone or to seek dangerous, back-alley abortions.

They also said it was constitutionally flawed.

Republicans defeated some Democratic amendments, including proposals to exempt grandparents, adult siblings, other relatives and religious leaders from prosecution. They also rejected a bid by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) to withhold prosecution in cases of incest.

The White House opposed similar legislation last year because, among other reasons, it did not exempt close family members from liability.

The measure passed the House, although without enough votes to overturn a threatened White House veto, but died in the Senate.

Passions flared Wednesday during debate over an amendment, which was defeated, by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) for a congressional study of the “impact of the number of unsafe and illegal abortions” performed on minors affected by the bill.