On Thursday, February 6, SB 404 (Stargel) passed the full Senate (
23-17). The bill requires that a parent or legal guardian shall provide consent before a minor can terminate her pregnancy, as they must do in most every case prior to a minor's medical treatment. The bill includes a judicial waiver process when parental abuse is a concern.
Senator Kelli Stargel closes on SB 404 on the floor of the Senate.
In closing on her bill, Senator Stargel shared her personal experience as a pregnant teen faced with informing her parents and who gratefully chose to raise her child. She also urged lawmakers to consider the pregnant minor who may be secretly trafficked or sexually abused and in need of her parents' help and intervention.
The companion bill, HB 265 (Grall), has passed its committee of reference, and we anticipate the House taking up the bill next week.