103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2175

 

Introduced 2/7/2023, by Rep. Adam M. Niemerg

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
20 ILCS 4111/Act rep.

    Creates the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 2023, with provisions similar to those of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995. Repeals the Youth Health and Safety Act. Effective immediately.


LRB103 26049 LNS 52404 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2175LRB103 26049 LNS 52404 b

1    AN ACT concerning parental notice of abortion.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 2023.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings and purpose. The General
7Assembly finds that notification of a family member as defined
8in this Act is in the best interest of an unemancipated minor,
9and the General Assembly's purpose in enacting this parental
10notice law is to further and protect the best interests of an
11unemancipated minor.
12    The medical, emotional, and psychological consequences of
13abortion are sometimes serious and long-lasting, and immature
14minors often lack the ability to make fully informed choices
15that consider both the immediate and long-range consequences.
16    Parental consultation is usually in the best interest of
17the minor and is desirable since the capacity to become
18pregnant and the capacity for mature judgment concerning the
19wisdom of an abortion are not necessarily related.
 
20    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
21    "Abortion" means the use of any instrument, medicine,
22drug, or any other substance or device to terminate the

 

 

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1pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with an intention
2other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to
3preserve the life or health of a child after live birth, or to
4remove a dead fetus.
5    "Actual notice" means the giving of notice directly, in
6person, or by telephone.
7    "Adult family member" means a person over 21 years of age
8who is the parent, grandparent, step-parent living in the
9household, or legal guardian.
10    "Constructive notice" means notice by certified mail to
11the last known address of the person entitled to notice with
12delivery deemed to have occurred 48 hours after the certified
13notice is mailed.
14    "Incompetent" means any person who has been adjudged as
15mentally ill or as a person with a developmental disability
16and who, because of her mental illness or developmental
17disability, is not fully able to manage her person and for whom
18a guardian of the person has been appointed under paragraph
19(1) of subsection (a) of Section 11a-3 of the Probate Act of
201975.
21    "Medical emergency" means a condition that, on the basis
22of the physician's good faith clinical judgment, so
23complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to
24necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert
25her death or for which a delay will create serious risk of
26substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily

 

 

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1function.
2    "Minor" means any person under 18 years of age who is not
3or has not been married or who has not been emancipated under
4the Emancipation of Minors Act.
5    "Neglect" means the failure of an adult family member to
6supply a child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, or
7medical care when reasonably able to do so or the failure to
8protect a child from conditions or actions that imminently and
9seriously endanger the child's physical or mental health when
10reasonably able to do so.
11    "Physical abuse" means any physical injury intentionally
12inflicted by an adult family member on a child.
13    "Physician" means any person licensed to practice medicine
14in all its branches under the Illinois Medical Practice Act of
151987.
16    "Sexual abuse" means any sexual conduct or sexual
17penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of the Criminal Code
18of 2012 that is prohibited by the criminal laws of the State
19and committed against a minor by an adult family member as
20defined in this Act.
 
21    Section 15. Notice to adult family member. No person shall
22knowingly perform an abortion upon a minor or upon an
23incompetent person unless the physician or his or her agent
24has given at least 48 hours actual notice to an adult family
25member of the pregnant minor or incompetent person of his or

 

 

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1her intention to perform the abortion, unless that person or
2his or her agent has received a written statement by a
3referring physician certifying that the referring physician or
4his or her agent has given at least 48 hours notice to an adult
5family member of the pregnant minor or incompetent person. If
6actual notice is not possible after a reasonable effort, the
7physician or his or her agent must give 48 hours constructive
8notice.
 
9    Section 20. Exceptions. Notice shall not be required under
10this Act if:
11        (1) the minor or incompetent person is accompanied by
12    a person entitled to notice;
13        (2) notice is waived in writing by a person who is
14    entitled to notice;
15        (3) the attending physician certifies in the patient's
16    medical record that a medical emergency exists and there
17    is insufficient time to provide the required notice;
18        (4) the minor declares in writing that she is a victim
19    of sexual abuse, neglect, or physical abuse by an adult
20    family member as defined in this Act. The attending
21    physician must certify in the patient's medical record
22    that he or she has received the written declaration of
23    abuse or neglect. Any notification of public authorities
24    of abuse that may be required under other laws of this
25    State need not be made by the person performing the

 

 

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1    abortion until after the minor receives an abortion that
2    otherwise complies with the requirements of this Act; or
3        (5) notice is waived under Section 25.
 
4    Section 25. Procedure for judicial waiver of notice.
5    (a) The requirements and procedures under this Section are
6available to minors and incompetent persons whether or not
7they are residents of this State.
8    (b) The minor or incompetent person may petition any
9circuit court for a waiver of the notice requirement and may
10participate in proceedings on her own behalf. The court shall
11appoint a guardian ad litem for her. Any guardian ad litem
12appointed under this Act shall act to maintain the
13confidentiality of the proceedings. The circuit court shall
14advise her that she has a right to court-appointed counsel and
15shall provide her with counsel upon her request.
16    (c) Court proceedings under this Section shall be
17confidential and shall ensure the anonymity of the minor or
18incompetent person. All court proceedings under this Section
19shall be sealed. The minor or incompetent person shall have
20the right to file her petition in the circuit court using a
21pseudonym or using solely her initials. All documents related
22to this petition shall be confidential and shall not be made
23available to the public.
24    These proceedings shall be given precedence over other
25pending matters to the extent necessary to ensure that the

 

 

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1court reaches a decision promptly. The court shall rule and
2issue written findings of fact and conclusions of law within
348 hours of the time that the petition is filed, except that
4the 48-hour limitation may be extended at the request of the
5minor or incompetent person. If the court fails to rule within
6the 48-hour period and an extension is not requested, then the
7petition shall be deemed to have been granted, and the notice
8requirement shall be waived.
9    (d) Notice shall be waived if the court finds by a
10preponderance of the evidence either:
11        (1) that the minor or incompetent person is
12    sufficiently mature and well enough informed to decide
13    intelligently whether to have an abortion; or
14        (2) that notification under Section 15 would not be in
15    the best interests of the minor or incompetent person.
16    (e) A court that conducts proceedings under this Section
17shall issue written and specific factual findings and legal
18conclusions supporting its decision and shall order that a
19confidential record of the evidence and the judge's findings
20and conditions be maintained.
21    (f) An expedited confidential appeal shall be available,
22as the Supreme Court provides by rule, to any minor or
23incompetent person to whom the circuit court denies a waiver
24of notice. An order authorizing an abortion without notice
25shall not be subject to appeal.
26    (g) The Supreme Court is respectfully requested to adopt

 

 

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1any rules necessary to ensure that proceedings under this Act
2are handled in an expeditious and confidential manner.
3    (h) No fees shall be required of any minor or incompetent
4person who avails herself of the procedures provided by this
5Section.
 
6    Section 30. Minor's consent to abortion. A person may not
7perform an abortion on a minor without the minor's consent,
8except in a medical emergency.
 
9    Section 35. Reports. The Department of Public Health shall
10comply with the reporting requirements set forth in the
11consent decree in Herbst v. O'Malley, case no. 84-C-5602 in
12the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois,
13Eastern Division.
 
14    Section 40. Penalties.
15    (a) Any physician who willfully fails to provide notice as
16required under this Act before performing an abortion on a
17minor or an incompetent person shall be referred to the
18Illinois State Medical Board for action in accordance with
19Section 22 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987.
20    (b) Any person, not authorized under this Act, who signs
21any waiver of notice for a minor or incompetent person seeking
22an abortion, is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
 

 

 

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1    Section 45. Immunity. Any physician who, in good faith,
2provides notice in accordance with Section 15 or relies on an
3exception under Section 20 shall not be subject to any type of
4civil or criminal liability or discipline for unprofessional
5conduct for failure to give required notice.
 
6    Section 50. Severability and inseverability. If any
7provision of this Act or its application to any person or
8circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision
9or application does not affect other provisions or
10applications of the Act that can be given effect without the
11invalid provision or application, except that Section 25 is
12inseverable to the extent that if all or any substantial and
13material part of Section 25 is held invalid, then the entire
14Act is invalid.
 
15    (20 ILCS 4111/Act rep.)
16    Section 90. The Youth Health and Safety Act is repealed.
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18becoming law.