Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill Friday repealing a mandate that required women under the age of 17 seeking an abortion to notify a parent or guardian 48 hours prior to the procedure.
The now-repealed law was passed in 1995, per Just the News.
Pritzker called the repeal “essential” arguing the original act punished “vulnerable pregnant minors” including “victims of rape and physical abuse.”
“With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to healthcare services,” Pritzker said in a press release.
The law also creates a “Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working Group to identify laws and policies that impact parenting and pregnant youth under the age of 18,” per the press release.
Democrats argue the Illinois law, which goes into effect June 1, 2022, will protect reproductive rights for women of all ages.
Meanwhile, Republicans argue the new law places girls in danger.
“Parents deserve the right to know if their minor child is seeking any major medical procedure, especially one like an abortion where there can be serious short and long term consequences,” Republican state House Rep. Avery Bourne said. “Instead, today the Democrat majority has chosen to recklessly push those rights to the wayside.”
