Joint Statement with URGE regarding Teen Abortion Restrictions
The Center for Reproductive Rights and URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity call on Texas lawmakers to reject attempts to make it harder for young people to access the reproductive health care they need.
The Center for Reproductive Rights and URGE: Unite for Reproductive &, Gender Equity strongly oppose measures that limit teens’ access to basic health care, including several bills being considered by the Texas legislature. House Bill 723 and House Bill 3994 are just two of the many bills introduced this year that will severely limit young people’s access to abortion care. House Bill 723 unfairly target teens in Texas, and could effectively ban young people from obtaining abortion care if they feel they cannot involve a parent, in direct violation of settled Supreme Court precedent. House Bill 3994 is an omnibus measure intended to make it as challenging as possible for a teen to access abortion care, including requiring “valid government identification” and adding barrier after barrier designed to delay teens seeking this critical care. Young people should decide who to include in their personal reproductive health care decisions, and it is not the role of politicians to legislate communication between parents and teens. Imposing additional hurdles between the most vulnerable Texas teens and access to safe, legal reproductive health care is dangerous and cruel.