CONTACT INFO:
DIONNE SCOTT
CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
DSCOTT@REPRORIGHTS.ORG
(917) 637-3649

New York, NY— The Center for Reproductive Rights today announced its opposition to the abortion bill, S. 403, (the so-called "Child Custody Protection Act") passed by the U.S. Senate. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, released the following statement in response to the Senate vote:

"The Center for Reproductive Rights strongly opposes the abortion bill passed today by the Senate. Far from providing protection, this legislation endangers the health of young women and criminalizes grandmothers, aunts and sisters for simply helping a loved one in a highly personal time of need. This legislation, which is actually a Teen Endangerment Act, is unconstitutional and violates the reproductive rights of young women. The Center for Reproductive Rights will vigorously challenge this legislation in court if it is signed into law."

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Background
S. 403 makes it a federal crime for any person, other than a parent or guardian, to knowingly transport a teenager across a state line to obtain an abortion, unless she has already fulfilled the requirements of her home state law requiring parental consent or notification or judicial authorization of the abortion The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar bill, the "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act" (CIANA), H.R. 748, last year.

S.403 is harmful and unnecessary legislation. The reality is–in most cases, a parent is aware when a teenager seeks an abortion. So–in essence–this law affects the most scared and most vulnerable teenagers, putting their health and well-being at risk. In fact, lawmakers even failed to include an exception for when a young woman’s heath is at stake. Teenagers dealing with precarious family situations—like incest or alcoholic or abusive parents—will go to any lengths, including dangerous ones, to avoid relying on their parents. As a result, they could delay getting the care and counseling they so desperately need.

Rather than passing legislation like S.403, which does more harm than good, Congress should focus its energies on pregnancy prevention through medically accurate sex education, counseling, and access to birth control.