Colorado Teen Abortion Laws

Though a new concept to the state of California, the issue of Parental Notification in reference to teen abortion has already been considered, or even instigated in the majority of states. As of 2004, forty-four states had passed some version of the law being proposed for this year's California election. The interesting component of the issue is the extreme variation of the laws from state to state. The largest separation is between "Parental notification" laws (requiring no consent, only notification) and "Parental consent" laws (requiring explicit permission). However, there are other inconsistencies between the states as well. Some of the details they address are: whether one parent or two must be consulted; whether there is a mandatory wait period between parental notification and the procedure; whether other family members or guardians are legal alternatives to parents; and whether "Judicial Bypass" is an option in the instance of extenuating circumstances. For a complete listing of the exact details of the laws in every state click here: http://www.coolnurse.com/abortion_laws.htm.
Since of these forty-four states, Colorado was the first to propose age-oriented restrictions on abortion, it is interesting to consider this state's interpretation of the law. Amendment 12, as proposed on the 1998 state election ballot, dictated the necessity of parental consent in order for minors to obtain an abortion. Though it passed by popular vote, it was soon struck down by the courts. Then, in May of 2003 a similar version of the same law was passed by Colorado state legislation. Judicial Bypass is offered as an option for minors (defined as under the age of 18 in Colorado) who believe that parental notification would put them at risk for violence, or if the minor declares herself as a victim of abuse, incest, or neglect. Also, a minor's reasonable request to inform only one parent is guaranteed to be granted. In order to obtain waiver of parental mandate, a court order is submitted to a judge for review. In order to avoid extreme time delays for the procedure to take place, when a decision has not been made after four days, the request is considered granted. For a complete detailed account of Colorado's laws on teen abortion restrictions, click here: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/yourstate/whodecides/states/colorado/issue.cfm?issueid=2493. An interesting account of Colorado's adoption of this law from the other side of the issue is provided by Mary Beth Bonacci, a columnist and "frequent lecturer on chastity." To view her article, click here: http://www.catholicherald.com/bonacci/03mb/mb030522.htm.