New Hampshire Repeals Parental Notification Law
July 2, 2007
New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed legislation Friday repealing the state’s parental notification law.
The law, which would have required doctors to notify parents at least 48 hours before a minor obtains an abortion, was passed in 2003, but never took effect due to legal challenges reaching all the way to the Supreme Court in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
Parental involvement bills threaten the health of young women, and restrictive abortion laws may worsen family communication rather than promote it.
“The Supreme Court found this law unconstitutional because it fails to protect the health and safety of all women, which is why I am signing its repeal,” Gov. Lynch said.