SPONSOR: Miller
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Children and Families by a vote of 8 to 5.
Currently, a person is not permitted to knowingly perform an abortion on a minor unless the attending physician has secured the informed written consent of the minor and one parent or guardian of the minor. This bill requires that the consenting parent or guardian of the minor notifies any other custodial parent or guardian in writing before the physician secures the informed written consent of the minor and consenting parent or guardian, except in the case of an emergency or when the parent or guardian has been found guilty of several specified crimes, is listed on the sexual offender registry, has had an order of protection issued against him or her, has had his or her parental rights terminated, or whose whereabouts are unknown.
This bill is the same as HB 1383 (2018).
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that custodial parents have a right and responsibility to be involved in major decisions in the life of their child. They also said that it may be the parent being left out of the process that is in a position to help the child if they are pregnant due to situations that are not within their control.
Testifying for the bill were Representative Miller; Missouri Catholic Conference; Missouri Right to Life; Missouri Family Network; and Campaign Life Missouri.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that requiring notification of an abusive parent may put the child and the other parent at risk.
Testifying against the bill were American Civil Liberties Union; Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri; and Dr. Selina Sandoval, OB/GYN.
Statutes affected: