Child Custody News

Ensign Brings Child Custody Protection Act To Senate Floor  

Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign brought the Child Custody Protection Act to the floor of the United States Senate for debate today. The legislation is designed to prevent minors from being transported across state lines for the purpose of evading state laws in order to have an abortion. As of Thursday afternoon, the bill had 41 cosponsors.

“In most schools across the country our children cannot go on a field trip, take part in school activities or participate in sex education without a signed permission slip. An underage child cannot even receive mild medication, such as aspirin, unless the school nurse has a signed release form. Some states even require parental permission to use indoor tanning beds. Nothing, however, prevents this same child from being taken across state lines, in direct disobedience of state laws, for the purpose of undergoing a life-altering abortion,” Ensign said during remarks on the Senate floor.

Ensign pointed out that the Child Custody Protection Act does not supersede, override or in any way alter existing state parental involvement laws. The bill does not impose any federal parental notice or consent requirement on any state that does not already have a parental involvement law in place. Forty-five states have passed some form of parental involvement legislation.

“The Child Custody Protection Act addresses the interstate transportation of minors—sometimes by a predatory older male or his parents—in order to circumvent valid, existing state laws that require parental notification or consent,” Ensign said. “This bill goes a long way toward strengthening the effectiveness of state laws designed to protect parents and their young daughters from the health and safety risks associated with secret abortions.”

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