Illinois Allows Doctors Not to Notify Parents of Pregnant Minors 48 Hours Before Abortion

The Parental Notification Act, recently repealed by the state of Illinois, had obliged doctors to inform parents of minors seeking an abortion. It was initially passed by the state General Assembly in 1995 but came into force only two decades later due to challenges in federal court.

Abortion clinics in Illinois will no longer have to notify parents of their underage clients 48 hours before the procedure, according to a new law signed by the state’s governor J.B. Pritzker, FOX 32 reported on Saturday.

The repealed legislation had required notification, not consent as in many other states. The Democratic official reportedly said that the previous law had badly affected girls that were "victims of rape and physical abuse in unsafe homes.”

"With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to health care services," Pritzker said.

The governor’s action was predictably criticized by Republican lawmakers, who claimed the law would harm relations between parents and children and is not what most Illinois residents want.

"It’s the most basic human relationship that we know and it is a precious bond for a lifetime, most critical during a young girl’s, a minor’s, formative years," said Republican Sen. Jil Tracy of Quincy. "We have enough problems in the state without creating more wedges between children and their parents."

Republican state Representative Avery Bourne said the repeal is "out of touch with a majority of Illinoisans" and claimed it puts girls in "danger,'' according to the Sun-Times.

"Parents deserve the right to know if their minor child is seeking any major medical procedure," he added. "Instead, today the Democrat majority has chosen to recklessly push those rights to the wayside."

The new law envisages the creation of the Safety Advisory Working Group, which would protect the interests of pregnant minors and parents as well as address human trafficking.