CV NEWS FEED // Tennessee could become the latest state to make it a felony for adults to procure abortions for minors without parental consent.
AP News reported that a new pro-life proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Jason Zachary advanced inside the Tennessee House this week. According to Zachary, the bill “is simply a parental rights bill.”
With the goal of keeping parents informed about their children, the proposed bill makes it illegal for any adult to help a minor receive an abortion without parental consent. That includes actions such as driving minors to abortion clinics, providing information about nearby abortion facilities, concealing a minor’s abortion from the parents or guardians, providing minors with abortion drugs, and taking them out of state to procure an abortion.
Currently, Tennessee legislation bans abortions throughout a woman’s entire pregnancy, with exemptions for saving the life of the mother.
While the state cannot legally restrict a person’s right to travel between states, the government can criminalize the section of the trip to an out-of-state abortion facility that occurs within Tennessee.
According to the proposal, aiding in procuring an abortion in any way would become a Class C felony, which could mean up to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
AP News reported that the state House advanced the bill on February 13, with only two Democratic members objecting. Next, the bill must be approved by both the full House and Senate chambers, as well as Republican Gov. Bill Lee.
