On March 17, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution approved, 7-2, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (H.R. 748). The subcommittee held a hearing on the bill on March 3 (see The Source, 3/4/05).
Sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the measure would make it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion, thereby evading parental consent and notification laws. The bill would require that a parent or legal guardian be notified when a minor is transported across state lines for an abortion. Individuals who transported a minor across state lines and the doctor performing the abortion would be fined and could serve up to one year in prison.
Prior to final approval, the subcommittee approved, by voice vote, a substitute amendment offered by Chair Steve Chabot (R-OH) clarifying that a defendant could use an affirmative defense if he or she reasonably believed that parental consent had been given or that the court had waived the requirement for parental consent.
