YourVoice.Now Summary
Civil LibertiesCriminal Justice & Due ProcessTaking a minor to another state for an abortion that skips home-state parent rules would become a federal crime.
Civil Liberties
A parent harmed by an illegal trip or a missed notice could sue the person who took the minor or the doctor. A parent who committed incest with the minor could not sue.
A doctor treating a minor from another state would have to give a parent written notice at least 24 hours before the abortion. The rule does not apply if a parent comes along, a court waived notice, or the minor signs a statement that a parent abused her.
Criminal Justice & Due Process
This applies when the minor's home state requires a parent's consent or notice, and the trip skips that rule. It covers trips to other states and other countries, with up to 1 year in prison. The minor and her parents cannot be charged.
A doctor who knowingly skips the 24-hour notice could be fined and jailed for up to 1 year. The rule does not apply if the doctor follows the parent law of the state where the abortion happens.
Anyone who committed incest with a minor would commit a crime by taking her across state lines for an abortion. This applies even to a parent, with up to 1 year in prison.
More about this bill
If your state requires a parent's consent or notice before a minor's abortion, a new federal crime would apply. Knowingly taking a minor to another state or country to skip that rule could bring a fine and up to 1 year in prison. The minor and her parents could not be charged. It is a defense if a parent said the consent or notice already happened. Court papers waiving the rule are also a defense. The crime does not apply if the abortion is needed to save the minor's life. A person who committed incest with the minor commits a crime by taking her across state lines for an abortion. That holds even for a parent. Doctors would face new rules too. A doctor treating a minor from another state would have to give a parent written notice 24 hours before the abortion. If a parent cannot be reached in person, notice goes by certified mail. The rule does not apply if the doctor follows a parent law in the state where the abortion happens. It also does not apply if a parent comes along, or a court waived notice. A minor can also sign a statement that a parent abused her, and the doctor must report the abuse. In a life-saving case, the doctor must tell a parent in writing within 24 hours after. Doctors who break the rule face up to 1 year in prison. Harmed parents could sue, unless they committed incest with the minor. The law would start 45 days after it is signed. It has only been introduced so far.
Congressional Summary
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act This bill creates new federal crimes related to transporting a minor across state lines for an abortion. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to knowingly transport a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion without satisfying the requirements of a parental involvement law in the minor's resident state. A parental involvement law requires parental consent or notification, or judicial authorization, for a minor to obtain an abortion. The bill prohibits an individual who has committed incest with a minor from knowingly transporting the minor across a state line to receive an abortion. Finally, the bill makes it a crime for a physician to knowingly perform or induce an abortion on an out-of-state minor without first notifying the minor's parent.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-01-15
- Date Added
- 2026-10-03
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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