Bishops call for parental-notification law

The state’s Catholic bishops are calling for a state law to require minors to notify their parents if they plan to have an abortion, claiming that Connecticut is one of the few states lacking such a law.

But abortion-rights advocates said the laws can be damaging and prevent scared young people from seeking timely care.

“Parents rightfully want to be involved in their teenager’s lives, but good family communication can’t be mandated by the government,” said Susan Yolen, vice president of public policy and advocacy for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, in an email.

In its 11th annual “State of Abortion in Connecticut” report, the Connecticut Catholic Conference — the public policy office of the Catholic bishops in Connecticut — calls for adoption of a parental notification law.

The report states that 37 states have active laws requiring some form of parental notification, and that six other states passed such laws, but “legal challenges have made these laws inactive” in the states.

The time seems right to address the need for such a law in Connecticut, particularly since parents often need to give consent for teens to receive medical services or participate in school activities, said Michael C. Culhane, the executive director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference.

“There’s a litany of activities dealing with minors that require notification,” Culhane said. “It seems that if you are pregnant and a minor, that you lack the ability to make that kind of decision.”

Connecticut’s law requires only that minors younger than 16 be given counseling prior to receiving an abortion. Culhane said the Catholic Conference has tried in the past to at least make counseling a requirement to all minors, but that wasn’t successful. He said the State of Abortion report was sent to members of the state Legislature on Monday but he has not yet gotten a response.

Parental notification laws vary from state to state, with some requiring only parental notification, and others requiring parental consent. In many cases, a judge can excuse minors from the requirement.