(LifeSiteNews) — The GOP-controlled Tennessee legislature has passed a bill that outlaws assisting minors with procuring an abortion without parental consent. The measure is expected to be signed by pro-life Republican Governor Bill Lee.
Officially titled “Underage Abortion Trafficking Act,” H.B. 1895/SB 1971 prohibits an adult from recruiting, harboring, or transporting a pregnant girl under the age of 18 who is not their child to obtain a chemical or surgical abortion.
The proposal passed the State House 74-24 and 25-4 in the State Senate, along party lines.
According to the Associated Press, Idaho is the only other state in the union to approve of an “abortion trafficking” law. Oklahoma and Mississippi have also seen similar legislation introduced in their state chambers recently.
Tennessee Right to Life says the bill is needed because Planned Parenthood staffers across the U.S. have been caught admitting they help female minors secure secret abortions without their parent or guardian’s knowledge.
“Parents have a right to be involved with their daughters’ well-being,” the group told LifeNews.com. “The abortion industry has no right to transport or obtain dangerous chemicals for underage girls while keeping their parents in the dark.”
At present, Tennessee law prohibits abortion in most circumstances with the exception of protecting the mother’s life. Last Tuesday, Gov. Lee signed a measure that requires public schools to show school children a “high-quality, computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound” of unborn babies developing in the womb.
If approved, the “Underage Abortion Trafficking Act” would deem violations as a Class A misdemeanor with a one-year imprisonment.
The Tennessean reports that two female Democratic state representatives opposed the bill on grounds that “some pregnant minors might not be able to confide in a trusted parent.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has likewise come out against the measure, claiming in a letter to Lee that it is an attack on free speech and that it does not provide “consideration for pregnant teens in abusive family environments where disclosing pregnancy status may create a risk of physical or psychological harm.”
GOP State Rep. Jason Zachary of Knox County is the bill’s lead sponsor. He recently won the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Defender of Freedom Award” for his efforts to protect “Tennesseans against COVID-19 government overreach, the unborn, over-taxation, threats to our 2nd Amendment Rights, and the encroachment of Marxism.”
To urge Gov. Lee to sign the bill, call (615) 741-2001 or visit his website here.