Missouri Bill Regarding Two-Parent Written Notification Requirements (SB 375)

SB 375 would amend the laws regarding parental notification requirements for an abortion for a minor (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 188.028).

The bill would prohibit (except in the case of a medical emergency) a physician from performing or inducing an abortion upon a minor without first obtaining the notarized written consent of both the minor and one of her parents or her legal guardian and would require the consenting parent to notify any other custodial parent. (Current law does not require notification of any other custodial parent.)

The bill defines “custodial parent” to mean a parent in a family in which the parents have not separated or divorced or any parent of a minor who has been awarded joint custody. Notice would not be required to a parent convicted of certain crimes and offenses as outlined in the law. Notice also would not be required to a parent whose whereabouts are unknown, who is a fugitive from justice, who is habitually in an intoxicated or drugged condition, or who has been declared mentally incompetent.

The bill would permit a minor to petition a court for a waiver of the consent requirement pursuant to the procedure outlined in the law.

Related Legislation

Companion bill to HB 326.

Identical to HB 1370, which failed to pass in 2016.

Identical to HB 774 and HB 814, which failed to pass in 2015.

Similar to HB 99, which was also under consideration in 2015, and HB 1192, which failed to pass in 2014, except SB 375 does not include the provision regarding the rights of crisis pregnancy centers to engage in religious practices and speech without interference from the government.

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