House Passes Bill Tightening Parental Rule for Abortions.

The House passed a bill on Wednesday making it a federal crime for any adult to transport an under-age girl across state lines to have an abortion without the consent of her parents. A vote on a similar bill is expected in the Senate later this spring or early this summer, and backers says its chances are good.

The bill, intended to prevent minor girls from going to different states to circumvent more restrictive laws in their home states, applies to adults who accompany girls 17 and under. It also, for the first time, requires doctors who perform abortions on under-age girls to comply with state notification laws, and in some cases to notify the girl's parents in person.

Twenty-three states require parental notification and 10 require parental notice but permit other adults to be notified, or allow health providers to waive the requirement. Seventeen states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California, have no law restricting access to abortion for minors.

(4-28-05, The New York Times.)