Oklahoma Approves Bill for Parental Notification on Abortion

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 12, 2013   |   6:03PM   |   Oklahoma City, OK

The Oklahoma state legislature today approved a measure that would allow parents to be notified when their minor daughter is considering an abortion. Such a law would help parents steer their young daughters in a better direction.

The legislature also approved another bill that would tighten the reporting requirements for abortion clinics so the state can better track abortions.

A report on the passage of the pro-life bills indicates:

That bill also increases those reporting requirements, including a provision requiring a copy of the ultrasound taken before the abortion be filed with the state Health Department.

Under current law, minors seeking an abortion must notify at least one parent or go through a process called judicial bypass. The same applies for consent to undergo the procedure.

House Bill 1588, by Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, D-Oklahoma City, eliminates judicial bypass for parental notification except in cases of incest.

HB 1361, by Rep. Randy Grau, R-Edmond, would require more identification from the person receiving parental notification, require the application for judicial bypass be heard in the patient’s county of residence, allow the court to order a mental and/or emotional evaluations and instruct the courts on how to use those evaluations.

HB 2015, by Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, adds about 15 elements to the reports filed by abortion providers and allows private citizens to initiate action against providers through what is known as a qui tam process.

Now that the House has approved the measures, the all go to the Oklahoma state Senate. Before the vote, pro-life groups explained why the measures are needed.

Oklahomans for Life is supporting the Parental Notification for Abortion Act, HB 1588, which requires that a parent of a minor must be notified before an abortion can be performed on her.

“Under current law, a young girl in Oklahoma can evade having a parent notified about an intended abortion by getting a judge’s approval instead,” says OFL president Tony Lauinger. “This “judicial-bypass” procedure is blatantly abused, as the abortion industry is able to steer teenagers to judges whom they have identified as being supportive of abortion.”

“In one state with a judicial bypass, Minnesota, in a period of approximately four years, there were 3,573 judicial petitions to bypass parents, and only nine were denied,” he continues. “A judge who has heard over 1,000 of these petitions described his role at the bypass hearing as “a routine clerical function on my part, just like putting my seal and stamp on it.”

Oklahomans for Life wants pro-life advocates to contact their representative to support the Parental Notification for Abortion Act, HB 1588.

You can identify your own representative by going to our website, www.OkForLife.org. Click on Find Your Legislators. Type your address, then scroll down to the fifth entry for your representative’s contact information.