I. Laws not in effect:  7 states.

All laws are enjoined by courts except for New Mexico’s, which is not in effect because of an Attorney General’s opinion.  All injunctions are on the basis of the federal or state constitution.  State constitutional injunctions are noted as SC.

Consent (3)	Notice (4)
Alaska (SC) (1), [17] California (SC) (1) New Mexico (1)	Illinois (1), GP, SP Montana (SC) (1) Nevada (1) New Jesey (SC) (1)

II. Laws currently in effect: 36 states.

All except Utah have a judicial or other mechanism to bypass the consent or notice requirement.

Consent (25)	Notice (11)
Alabama (1) Arizona (1) Arkansas (1) Idaho (1) Indiana (1) Kentucky (1) Louisiana (1) Maine1 (1), AFM Massachusetts (1) Michigan (1) Mississippi2 (2) Missouri (1) North Carolina3 (1), GP North Dakota4 (2) Ohio (1) Oklahoma5 (1) Pennsylvania (1) Rhode Island (1) South Carolina (1), GP, [17] Tennessee (1) Texas6 (1) Utah7 (1) Virginia8 (1) Wisconsin9 (1), GP, A, U, S Wyoming10 (1)	Colorado11 (1), GP, A, U Delaware (1), GP, MH, [16] Florida (1) Georgia (1) Iowa (1), GP Kansas (1) Maryland12 (1) Minnesota13 (2) Nebraska (1) South Dakota (1) West Virginia14 (1)

III. States with no laws: 7 + Washington D.C.

Connecticut Hawaii New Hampshire New York Oregon Vermont Washington Washington, D.C.

See below for footnotes.

Key:

(1)   Consent of or notice to one parent required
(2)   Consent of or notice to both parents required
GP   Consent of or notice to grandparent permitted as an alternative to parent
SP   Notice to step-parent in the same household permitted as an alternative to parent
A, U, S   Consent of aunt, uncle or sibling permitted as an alternative to parent
AFM  Consent of an adult family member permitted as an alternative to parent
MH   Notice to a licensed mental health professional permitted as an alternative to parent
[age]   Age in brackets indicates consent or notice required only for minors under this age.
Otherwise, consent or notice required for young women under 18.

Footnotes

1 Maine allows the attending physician to waive the requirement of consent of one parent or adult family member if the minor is competent to consent and if she undergoes counseling.  Adult family member is not defined in the statute.

2 In Mississippi, if the minor's parents are divorced or otherwise unmarried and living separate and apart, the written consent of the parent with primary custody, care, and control of the minor is sufficient.  Also, if the parents are married and one parent is not available to the person performing the abortion in a reasonable time and manner, then the written consent of the parent who is available shall be sufficient.

3 In North Carolina, the consenting grandparent must be one with whom the minor has been living for at least six months immediately preceding the date of the minor's written consent to the abortion.

4 North Dakota requires the consent of both parents, unless one has died or the parents are divorced or separated, in which case consent of the surviving or custodial parent only is required.

5 Oklahoma law requires consent and notice.

6 Texas law requires consent and notice.

7 Utah law requires consent and notice.  The consent requirement has a judicial bypass mechanism, but the notice requirement does not.

8 Virginia law requires consent and notice.  If a judge waives the consent requirement because a minor is immature but the abortion is in her best interests, the judge may nevertheless require notice to a parent unless such notice would be against the minor’s best interests.

9 Under Wisconsin law, an aunt, uncle, or sibling must be at least 25 years old to give consent.

10 Wyoming law requires consent and notice.

11 In Colorado, a grandparent, aunt, or uncle may be notified only if the minor is not residing with the parent, but resides with the grandparent, adult aunt, or adult uncle.  If a minor's parents do not live together, the minor may request that notice be given only to one parent; the law requires this request to be honored and noted in the minor's medical record.  In the absence of such a request, both parents must be notified if the parents are both living and do not live together.

12 The Maryland law allows the physician to waive notification on the basis of the minor's maturity or best interest.

13 Minnesota defines parent as both parents of the pregnant woman if they are both living, one parent of the pregnant woman if only one is living or if the second one cannot be located through reasonably diligent efforts, or the guardian or conservator if the pregnant woman has one.

14 West Virginia allows a physician with no financial connection with the physician who performs the abortion to waive the requirement on the basis of the minor's maturity or her best interests.

Cited References

Alabama:  Ala. St. § 26-21-3

Arizona:  Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 36-2152

Arkansas:  Ark. Code. Ann. § 20-16-801

Colorado:  C.R.S.A. §§ 12-37.5-104, 12-37.5-105

Delaware:  24 Del.C. § 1783

Florida:  Fl. St. Ann. § 390.01114

Georgia:  Ga. Code. Ann. § 15-11-112

Indiana:  Ind. Code. Ann. § 16-34-2-4

Iowa:  I.C.A. § 135L.3

Kansas:  Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-6705

Kentucky:  Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 311.732

Louisiana:  La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 40:1299.35.5

Maine:  22 M.R.S.A. §1597-A

Maryland:  M.D. §20-103

Massachusetts:  M.G.L.A.112 § 12S, as construed by Planned Parenthood League of Mass., Inc. v. Attorney General, 677 N.E.2d 101 (Mass. 1997).

Michigan:  Mich. Comp. Laws § 722.903

Minnesota:  Minn. Stat. § 144.343

Mississippi:  Miss. Code Ann. § 41-41-53

Missouri:  Mo. Rev. Stat. § 188.028

Nebraska:  Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-6902

North Carolina:  N.C.G.S.A. § 90-21.7

North Dakota:  N.D. Cent. Code § 14-02.1-03.1

Ohio:  Ohio Rev. Code § 2919.121

Oklahoma:  63 Okla. St. Ann. § 1-740.2

Pennsylvania:  18 Pa. C.S.A. § 3205

Rhode Island:  R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.7-6

South Carolina:  S.C. St. § 44-41-31

South Dakota:  S.D.C.L. § 34-23A-7

Tennessee:  T.C.A. § 37-10-303

Texas:  V.T.C.A. § 33.002 (notice); Tex. Occ. Code Ann. § 164.052(a)(19) (consent)

Utah:  U.C.A. §§ 76-7-304 (notice); 76-7-304.5 (consent).

Virginia:  Va. Code. Ann. § 16.1-241

West Virginia:  W. Va. Code, § 16-2F-3

Wisconsin:  W.S.A. § 48.375

Wyoming:  Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-6-118

 

Prepared by — Public Policy Litigation and Law Department of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Lead Author — Dara Klassel

Published: 07.03.00 | Updated: 01.05.07

Published by the Katharine Dexter McCormick Library

©2007 Planned Parenthood^® Federation of America, Inc.
All rights reserved.


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