UPDATE 12/17/21: HB 370 was signed into law by Governor Pritzker. Read more here.
As of June 2022, the Parental Notice of Abortion Act (PNA) has been repealed. Minors are no longer required to notify an adult family member in order to access an abortion in Illinois.
The Youth Health and Safety Act reaffirms Illinois’ commitment to the fundamental principle that every person has the right to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without interference, and removes harmful barriers to reproductive healthcare for youth.
The Youth Health and Safety Act:
Creates a bipartisan working group focused on pregnant and parenting youth, and youth who may become pregnant and parents.
- Identifies existing and needed resources for youth in the areas of: education, housing, employment, food access, and childcare.
- Provides information and resources related to access to healthcare for minors.
- Provides resources and tools that support and encourage healthy communication between young people and their parents and other support systems.
- 10 of the 24 working group members will be young people who can speak directly to the issues affecting them and provide expertise about how to engage their peers.
Repeals the dangerous forced parental involvement law.
- The majority of young people voluntarily tell a parent about an unplanned pregnancy.
- Those who do not tell a parent often involve another family member or trusted adult.
- The minority of young people who do not talk to their parents often have concerns such as: fear of physical or emotional abuse, loss of financial support, or homelessness; fear of being forced to give birth against their will; or serious family problems such as a parent who is sick or imprisoned.
- Illinois law permits pregnant minors to make all other medical decisions without involving a parent or going to court. A pregnant minor can decide independently whether to continue the pregnancy and give birth, consent to medical care such as a cesarean section, or place a child for adoption. Only when a young person decides to end their pregnancy does the government force them to involve their family.
- Every leading medical organization opposes forced parental involvement laws, including: The American Medical Association; The American Academy of Pediatrics; The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; The Society for Adolescent Medicine; and The American Public Health Association.
Take Action: Thank Governor Pritzker for signing HB 370 by calling 1-866-971-9623.
Related Content
May 2022
Parental Notice of Abortion Act (PNA) and the Judicial Bypass Coordination Project
Starting June 1 2022 the Parental Notice of Abortion Act (PNA) is no longer law in Illinois. PNA was a type of parental involvement law that deters young people from seeking an abortion by forcing them to involve an adult family member or making them go to court in order to access an abortion.
Dec 17, 2021
ACLU of Illinois Welcomes Governor’s Approval of Measure to Repeal the Dangerous Parental Notice of Abortion Law
Issue Areas:
Women's and Reproductive Rights
Oct 20, 2021
Trafficking Experts Call Out False and Dangerous Claims about the Parental Notice of Abortion Act
Issue Areas:
Women's and Reproductive Rights
Jun 01, 2022
Illinois Expands Access to Abortion Care, Ends Enforcement of Parental Notice Law
Abortion access in Illinois expanded today with the end of the Parental Notice of Abortion (PNA) law.
Issue Areas:
Women's and Reproductive Rights
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