Alabama legislators proposed an abortion bill that would require out-of-state minors seeking abortions to gain parental consent.
“This bill would require both resident and nonresident minors to obtain parental consent and specify the procedures for obtaining a waiver from the consent requirement are available to both residents and nonresidents,” the bill says.
The bill was filed at the end of last week by Senate Republicans Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills; Gerald Allen R-Tuscaloosa; Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro; and Greg Reed, R-Jasper.
Currently, only Alabama minors must receive parental consent. Exceptions are made for minors who are deemed mature enough and well-informed, or for minors who were sexually abused by a parent and can be granted by a judge.
The bill’s introduction was part of a “pro-life day” at the Alabama capitol spearheaded by conservative Republican leadership. The legislature is also considering bills to ban assisted suicide, declare the state a “pro-life state” and create religious exemptions that will allow healthcare providers to opt out of performing abortions.