The Arkansas House of Representatives passed legislation Friday that would strengthen parent notification requirements for minors seeking an abortion.
House Bill 1424, by Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, and Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-Springdale, adds language to the state's current parental notification law to require more proof that an accompanying adult is a parent. It also tweaks the rules for a judicial bypass.
Minors who fear they'll be harmed if their parents are informed of the pregnancy can currently ask a judge at any county circuit court to waive the notification requirement. HB1424 would force the minor to get a waiver from a judge in the county where they live.
The bill, which was presented by Lundstrum, passed 68-6 on the House floor with little discussion Friday and will head to the Arkansas Senate next week.
The legislation ignited criticism against the bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Justin Harris, from abortion-rights activists and websites. Critics have suggested that the legislation will make it harder for minors who have been the victim of incest and rape by a family member to receive abortions.
Those critics have noted recent news reports that Harris' adopted daughter, who was 5 years old at the time, was raped after he re-homed the girl and her 3-year-old sister.
Harris declined to answer questions Friday, referring press inquiries to his attorney.
Representatives of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, who oppose the bill, said any parental notification requirements can put a teen who has a violent or unsafe living situation at a greater risk. But they said HB1424 in particular has some portions that are particularly troublesome.
"We're concerned about it because it makes that process much more onerous," said Ashley Wright, an Arkansas lobbyist for the group. "A judicial bypass is only sought when a minor feels they're in a dangerous situation. Currently those minors can seek that bypass in any circuit court. With this bill, the minor would have to seek a bypass within her own county. This poses a great risk for that information getting back to the minor's parents, which is exactly what she is trying to prevent in a dangerous situation."
But supporters of HB1424 said Friday that the bill does not add hurdles for those victims. Supporters say it bolsters existing law by adding a requirement that an adult accompanying a minor to an abortion clinic provide identification to prove they're a parent -- a measure they say actually protects the minor.
"There are rumors online going around that this bill might do this, or it might do that. But when it came time to testify, no one testified against the bill," said Jerry Cox, executive director of the Arkansas-based Family Council.
"What this does is it upgrades the old law. Right now there is really no way to know... if a 40-year-old man goes into an abortion clinic with a girl and he says, 'This is my daughter. She needs an abortion.' There's no way to really verify if he's the parent or not. Under this legislation, they would have to show verification."
Wright said that requirement could also add a hurdle for low-income Arkansans who live in rural areas and might not have an easy time obtaining a government-issued ID.
The bill would still allow for immediate abortions without parental consent in the case of a medical emergency, but adds language requiring that the doctor who performs the abortion notify the girl's parent or legal guardian within 24 hours.
Cox said about 230 minors receive abortions each year in Arkansas and about 30 of those are granted a parental notification waiver by a judge.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Spencer Willems contributed information for this article.
Metro on 03/21/2015