Committee weighs abortion parental notification
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A hearing on a bill that would require minors to notify their parents before terminating a pregnancy pitted those who argued it was an issue of parental rights against those who say the measure is an effort to restrict access to abortion.
The Senate Law & Justice Committee was packed Wednesday with supporters and opponents of the measure that deny a pregnant minor an abortion unless they had given at least 48-hours' notice to one parent or a legal guardian. A pregnant teen could petition a superior court for a waiver of the notice requirement.
"This bill is not trying to stop abortions," Sen. Don Benton, a Republican from Vancouver who sponsored the measure, told the committee. "What this bill is about is notifying parents of their children's activities before they engage in them. It's a common-sense right."
Under the measure, anyone who performs an abortion on a minor without the proper notification requirements is guilty of a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in local jail and/or a $5,000 fine. No notice is required if there is a medical emergency.
According to The Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive health issues, 38 states require some type of parental involvement in a minor's decision to have an abortion. More than 20 states require parental consent. Twelve others require parental notification only, and five require both official notification and consent.
Dr. Yolanda Evans, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital who is opposed to the measure, said that most of the teens she sees with unintended pregnancies have the support of their parents.
Evans said she worries that, if required to notify parents, teens would try to find other dangerous means to end their pregnancies.
"I'm here to be a voice for my patients, not the ones who have parental support, but those vulnerable ones who don't," she said.
The Senate Law & Justice Committee was packed Wednesday with supporters and opponents of the measure that deny a pregnant minor an abortion unless they had given at least 48-hours' notice to one parent or a legal guardian. A pregnant teen could petition a superior court for a waiver of the notice requirement.
"This bill is not trying to stop abortions," Sen. Don Benton, a Republican from Vancouver who sponsored the measure, told the committee. "What this bill is about is notifying parents of their children's activities before they engage in them. It's a common-sense right."
Under the measure, anyone who performs an abortion on a minor without the proper notification requirements is guilty of a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in local jail and/or a $5,000 fine. No notice is required if there is a medical emergency.
According to The Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive health issues, 38 states require some type of parental involvement in a minor's decision to have an abortion. More than 20 states require parental consent. Twelve others require parental notification only, and five require both official notification and consent.
Dr. Yolanda Evans, a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital who is opposed to the measure, said that most of the teens she sees with unintended pregnancies have the support of their parents.
Evans said she worries that, if required to notify parents, teens would try to find other dangerous means to end their pregnancies.
"I'm here to be a voice for my patients, not the ones who have parental support, but those vulnerable ones who don't," she said.
But this would contradict current state law.
Â
Under current state law, age 13 is the "age of consent" (so to speak), the age at which a dependent is considered an adult for health care & allowed to make their own decisions without parental involvement or notification. This applies to ALL health care - sexual & reproductive health, contraception, mental health care, prescriptions, drug addiction & substance abuse - EVERYTHING.
Â
You can't have it both ways.
Â
There are MANY people under the age of 18 that have good reason to fear their parents, and especially to fear them if they had to tell them of something such as this. I feel safe in saying those who have NO fear of their parents will already have told them, and those who do NOT want to tell them have every reason for that.
Â
The horse is already out of the barn. They are pregnant, nothing is going to change that fact. They deserve to at least have the dignity of being able to make the choice of whether or not to tell their parents, as they know their parents & the most likely reaction (violent or not) as opposed to simply saying "it's the law" and mandating it, thus possibly putting the young person in harm's way.
parents should be notified. They are ultimately responsible for the bill as well as dealing with what happens next. So a minor child or one still under adult control should be notified. if the child has to have an other elective surgery ,this certainly falls under that .
Stupidity at its worst. Kids don't take any action without influence. This is about controlling who influences a child who is pregnant. As a child, they do not have the experience or maturity to make a decision like this on their own. Non-abusive parents should always have the right to guide their children in the decision making process. The government does not see it that way. They would rather send them to planned parenthood for "advice". Just one more attack on the family unit, the result being social degradation.
This looks like another "Right to Live" move to limit or eventually eliminate abortions to those who need one or want one. Is it too much to ask them to keep their nose out of my life? I don't see them stepping up to pay the bills, buy the cloths, pay for the schooling or any of the other costs that are associated with raising a child. My wife had a tubal pregnancy. I suppose they would be happy for her to wait around to see if it lived and not to worry about her passing out from the pain.
@LongBeachBum This has nothing to do with abortions for adults. And keep in mind that most parents ARE there to pay the bills, buy the clothes and schooling.
This is less government??
I fear the days where parents actually raise their children are long gone. It's a shame.
 @Gadsden This doesn't hurt your ability to raise your kids. If you are a good parent this doesn't hurt you one bit.
@quidproquo @Gadsden So only bad parents have children that get pregnant?
 @quidproquo  @acepaul  @Gadsden Not true squidproquo. When teens find themselves in situations they are ashamed of they won't tell the parents. teens with good family values don't want to let their parents down.Â
Sorry, parent, not patent. Stupid ipad...
@quidproquo @Gadsden Not always. Some kids are very tight lipped about their problems, regardless of how competent the parents are. Many a good patent has been blindsided by unexpected problems with their child.
 @acepaul  @quidproquo  @Gadsden This is about parental notification. Kids talk to parents they trust.Â
Let me see if I understand this. I am responsible for my daughter until the age of 26 in regards to medical insurance. I am responsible for my daughter as a minor in any actions she does that impacts herself to include my financial well being. I am also responsible for my daughter as a minor for all medical procedures and for her health, but abortions not only do I have zero say, but zero rights as a parent to ensure the medical treatment she received during an abortion is top notch and that her health after the procedure is one of being healthy not to mention her mental health after going through a very difficult decision. Why is it that I lose this right as a parent? What asking questions such as how she got pregnant in the first place? Raped, molested? Who is asking those questions if the parent is taken out of the equation? What would happen if my daughter had a medical emergency during the abortion or worse she died during/after the procedure? What would that look like? Would Planned Parenthood send a police officer to my house to announce that my daughter had a medical emergency or that she died? What next, the school nurse at her public school will be able to legally remove my child from school to have an abortion performed without ever having to notify me? Why would this be ok, but removing my child from school to go on a field trip requires legal documentation to release her to the adult supervising the field trip? Where is this coming from? Who is enacting these laws that shut out the parent based on abortion?
 @gastoys:Â
WRONG.
Â
At age 13, your daughtewr becomes an adult per Stae of Washington laws for health care.Â
Â
She can make decisions on her own without asking you or talking to you, can seek mental health counseling without your permission or notification to you, can seek routi9ne health care without your permission or nitifiction or you, and any other decision regarding her health care.
Â
Also, per the law, neither the insurance NOR her health care providers are required to give you ANY informaiton about her care UNLESS she specifically authorizes them to disclose that informatino to you.
Â
And why so you keep harping about school nurses? This seems to be a fization with you. THEY do not schedlueabortions nor do they perform them. They WILL support the student and if the student fees that she cannot tell her parents (which from reading your posts her, if you have/had a daughter she would most likely feel that way) they will help the student to make the necessary arrangements.
Â
Not every family is perfect. Teens who become pregnant have been physically abused, they have been kicked out of the house, they have been disowned - usually all by "loving christian parents". I think a teen has a MUCH better idea of hos her parent swill react than a state law would - THEY will nkow if telling theior parents will place them in immenant danger.
 @gastoys What if you were the type of parent who would rape their daughter? What if you are the type of person who would throw your daughter out of the house for having premarital sex? For having the abortion?  What if you would beat her for it? Â
This comment has been deleted
 @the unvarnished truth Those laws didn't protect me. They aren't well enforced to why have the government intrude at all.
This is a wedge strategy if I did ever see one...notification is one thing but are you telling me if the child wants to get an abortion the parents have a right to block it?... I don't think so and I don't think that is by any means RIGHT... there are some things a individual has the right to choose and their parents have no say in keeping them from doing so.... imagine they are in a family with strong religious beliefs against abortions ....but the child obviously does not share the same views... this is wrong and should not be allowed to pass... there are some things even a child has and that is the right to choose what they do with their own bodies... end of story!
@Freespeech There is nothing wrong with parents who have strong religious (or otherwise) beliefs and who also enforce those beliefs when their children are minors. That's why they are the parents - to train and discipline their children.
 @Freespeech A child isn't able to legally sign a contract, are they? Ask yourself why? It is due to their inexperience as a human being and not being able to fully comprehend these types of decisions on an adult level. This is not forcing the blockage of an abortion, but forcing an adult conversation. I am a pro-choice advocate, but I know women that had abortions when they were under 18 and had terrible depression afterward. Having a family conversation about these will not only help the parents, but also help these teens from making uneducated decisions based on limited experience and advice from other inexperienced peers.
So - schools require a parent to sign a medical form allowing their child to be given any medication at school - even something as "innocent" as an aspirin requires parental permission. But no one thinks a thing about allowing underage girls to have an abortion without parental permission? An abortion is a *surgical procedure*, for crying out loud.
 @silvia:Â
".... But no one thinks a thing about allowing underage girls to have an abortion without parental permission? An abortion is a *surgical procedure*, for crying out loud ...."
Â
Under the laws of the State of Washington, a child of the age of 13 is considered an adult for health care & allowed to make decisions regarding their own care without having to ask permission from their parents por having to notify their parents.
 @Silvia You can't really compare the two situations. A school may have a nurse but it is not a medical facility and therefore require a medical form to prevent liability. Quite frankly I do not want a school nurse handing out medication to my son without my permission because they don't have access to my son's medical file.
 @queenofthenight  @Silvia And technically, this teenager cannot even legally sign a waiver.
 @Silvia The law doesn't allow a parent to prevent a girl of any age from getting an abortion, so why exactly is notification necessary?Â
This comment has been deleted
@the unvarnished truth:
Â
I'm surprised you didn't also make nonsensical comments about them not sterilizing instruments and other BS to try to make it as unsavory as possible.
Â
Rape or not, it is currently the young person's decision whether or not they notify their parents.
Â
In the State of Washington, as of age 13 they are considered an adult for ALL healthcare decisions - treatments, surgereis, medications, mentla health care, sexual & reproductive care, drug adiction, substance abuse, EVERYTHING. The insurance company NOR the provider of services is allowed to even discuss anything regarding a "sensative diagnisis" with the parents unless the teen gives authorization.
@lakeview Maybe the law needs to be changed then. It's terribly inconsistent the way it is.
 @Silvia Actually when caught early enough its just another pill.
@quidproquo But again, it takes parental permission to give a girl an "aspirin" which is "just another pill", so why is it okay to give a girl a pill for an abortion?
As a woman who grew up with terrible abusive parents, parental notification is just horrible. Â If you're a good parent, your kid is going to tell you wants going on.Â
 @quidproquo Conservatives want a religious influenced government to be our parents.
Personally I don't have a problem with parental notification, but it does seem to me to be another one of these hypocrisies of the conservatives that talk about smaller government. They like government just fine as long as it's promoting Christian conservative values, including doing anything to make getting an abortion more difficult. Â
@lakeview
My child is Lactose intolerant and must take the Lactaid pills. She needs to take these even for as small a "milk" intake as 4-5 M&M's. She must go to the nurse to get these. If a student is having a birthday celebration and the nurse has the day off my daughter is not allowed to have any cake, cookies, ice-cream and anything with chocolate. The nurse will only then give out what the doctor has "prescribed" on the PERANTAL CONSTNET FORM on file with the school. If you were to eat the entice bottle of pills you would be less likely to have an upset stomach than if you over indulged in the cake and ice-cream. This same nurse can give out a morning after pill, set an appointment with an abortion clinic?? You do not see anything wrong with that policy?? It is not about the right wing nut jobs trying to get their way, it is about consistency in a public policy.
 @bustedupredneck:Â
".... This same nurse can give out a morning after pill, set an appointment with an abortion clinic?? You do not see anything wrong with that policy?? ...."
Â
It is NOT "policy", and it is not the nurse doing anything.
Â
Under state law, a child of the age of 13 is considered an adult for ALL health care decisions. If you do not like that, then you need tyo take the legislature to task - NOT the school nurse.
@lakeview WRONG!!! This has NOTHING to do with religion or left versus right, but your right as a parent and your child's right as a human to receive the proper care and information to make the right choices. If my daughter was removed from school without my permission to have an abortion performed because she was raped by her schools nurse and or died during the procedure there will be major law suits if not physical retribution by myself! I am a liberal and your comments are offensive!
 @gastoys:Â
And YOUR comments are offensive to ME.
Â
I have NEVER, in all my 50+ years of life, EVER heard of a school nurse raping a child. Why the HELL would you even write that to use an example to back up your position? That is incredibly offensive to ALL the professional who work in schools.
Â
And guess what? After age 13, your child does not have to tell you anything, and legally her providers of care are not obligated to share ANY information with you. In the eyes of the law, she is considered an adult.
Â
I think yhou owe EVERY school nurse throughout the State of Washington a HUGE apology.
As also a parent and a daughter, I think it's imperative that we are allowed to know what is going on medically with our children. Â We are legally and morally responsible for their care until they are 18 or emancipated - if I'm not allowed to be informed about a medical issue my child is dealing with, and they have some kind of complication as a result, how am I to know how to treat them if the need arises? Â And how am I supposed to help and support my child in making appropriate care choices for him/her when it comes to recovery, medications, etc... Â I think not having access to our children's medical information is a terrible thing and may cause more harm than good.
 @ohhmammamia ...as it was stated above... if you do your parenting correctly your child will talk to you about anything and everything... not all children are lucky to have such open parents... I know mine when I was growing I can talk to them about just about anything and though they would not always agree with me... they at least did listen to what I had to say before passing judgment
Â
 @Freespeech  @ohhmammamia You are very presumptive. Just because a parent/child relationship is good, doesn't mean that the teen wouldn't try to hide a pregnancy. A young person could very well think that an operation is just a simple act when they are very much a heavy burden that has severe physical and emotional risks.
@Freespeech @ohhmammamia so you are ok with there being a law for your child to receive breast enhancements or say sex change or maybe other medical procedures such as an abortion without you being aware of it?
 @gastoys:Â
What you fail to realize is that as pof age 13 they are considered an ADULT under Washington State Law for ALL health care decisions.
As a parent and as a daughter I personally think parental notification would be beneficial. Â However, there are parents out there that either don't care or children would be too afraid to tell. Â It would at least give a parent a chance to be a support system for a teen mother and a baby, it may save some lives that would otherwise be aborted. Â I have a daughter and I would want her to at least tell me and give me the opportunity to help her rather than telling me when it was too late for me to help.
 @keri555 Very well said.
 @keri555 There are also parents out there who would outcast their child for having had sex before marriage and/or kick them out for being pregnant.