Stricter polices soon may govern Virginia's young women seeking abortions, if the General Assembly approves two measures submitted Monday by the House Courts of Justice Committee.
The committee voted 16-5 in favor of a parental consent bill, sponsored by Del. Richard H. Black, R-Loudon, which would require doctors to receive a notarized parental signature from girls under the age of 18 before performing an abortion.
The bill is expected to appear on the House floor within the next week.
"The bill passed by a wide margin and had bipartisan support," said Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, a committee member who voted to send the bill to the floor. "I expect it to have little difficulty passing."
Opponents of the bill cite privacy concerns as one of the major problems.
"It is an intrusion of the government into private lives," Del. Mitch Van Yahres, D-Charlottesville, said.
Supporters of the bill, however, note that 16 states require some form of parental consent, and that the bill's stipulations are consistent with the regulations requiring parental authorization for other medical procedures.
"Currently, abortion is the only surgical procedure performed without parental consent," Black said. "The bill shifts authority from the girls back to their parents."
"The bill is only for minors," Bell said. "It fits in with other medical procedures."
On the same day, the committee also passed another bill relating to abortions, sponsored by Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.
The second bill would outlaw "medically induced infanticide" and is similar to a partial-birth abortion ban signed into law by former Gov. James S. Gilmore III in 1998, Black said.
That law, however, was nullified by a 2000 Supreme Court ruling that deemed a similar law in Nebraska unconstitutional. Since that ruling, some Virginia lawmakers have sought to find another way to outlaw the procedure.
"This [bill] is excellent, and should be seriously considered," Black said.
But other delegates see the issue differently.
"Arguing about medically induced infanticide and partial birth starts the slide down the slippery slope of what constitutes 'life'," Van Yahres said.
If passed, both bills could face a veto from Gov. Mark R. Warner, who has stated his support for abortion rights in the past.
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