Senate Changes Abortion Bill, Doesn't Diminish Criticism

The Indiana Senate made changes to a parental consent for abortion bill that supporters say they hope the changes fix the bill’s issues.

The bill requires parents or guardians be notified if their underage daughter goes to court to get consent for an abortion.

Current law already requires parental consent for anyone under 18 to get an abortion. If a child doesn’t want to get their parents’ permission, they can go to court to get a waiver.

An amendment on the Senate floor clarified who’s defined in the bill as a parent and how the notification process would work.

But Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) says the amendment doesn’t solve one of the bill’s most glaring flaws.

“If a father rapes a juvenile, would the juvenile still be required to give that father notice? I think that still could happen underneath this motion,” Lanane says.

But Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem), the bill’s author, says in that scenario, the Department of Child Services would get involved.

“And if the Department of Child Services found that that child was in danger, they would take that child into custody. And therefore they would be the custodian and get notice,” Houchin says.

The bill is now eligible for passage by the full Senate.