SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois may soon no longer have a parental notification of abortion law.
The House has joined the Senate in voting to repeal the act, which requires a provider to inform a minor’s parents or guardian that their child is seeking an abortion. Currently, the only way around that is for a teen to go to court, according to Rep. Anna Moeller.
“Over the last eight years, we’ve had over 500 young women go through a judicial bypass process in order to access healthcare that is constitutionally guaranteed to them, because they can’t go to their parents,” Moeller said.
Moeller said legislation repealing the notification law will especially help victims of sexual abuse or assault.
But, opponents, like Rep. Avery Bourne, argued to keep the notification law in place.
“We’re not talking about 17-year-olds, exclusively, who months away from being 18. We’re talking about middle schoolers…parents of middle schoolers not having the right to know that their daughter is going through this,” Bourne said.
The measure now goes to Gov. J-B Pritzker’s desk. He has said he supports the change.
