Legislation To Bar Transport Of Minors Across State Lines For Abortion Might Become Election Issue, WBUR Reports

Legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to file charges against individuals who transport minors across state lines to obtain an abortion "could become one of the big issues" in the November elections, WBUR's "Here & Now" reports (Young, "Here & Now," WBUR, 8/15). The Senate last month voted 65-34 to approve a bill (S 403) that would allow federal prosecutors to file charges against individuals who transport minors across state lines to avoid state parental notification or consent laws. The House in April 2005 voted to approve a similar bill (HR 748), but the legislation has some differences from the Senate version. Last month, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) prevented an effort by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to appoint members to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve differences in the bills. The delay has raised concerns about the prospects of the legislation, although House and Senate Republican leaders have said that Congress will approve a final bill before the November elections (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/26).

State Parental Notification Laws
WBUR's "Here & Now" on Tuesday included an interview with Helena Silverstein, a professor of law at Lafayette College, about the failure of judicial bypass options in several states with parental notification laws, advertisements that target young women in states with parental notification laws from abortion providers in other states without such laws, and the role of parental notification and consent laws in efforts by abortion-rights opponents ("Here & Now," WBUR, 8/15). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.

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