Enforcement of Illinois Parental Notification Law Delayed

November 3, 2009 — Enforcement of an Illinois law requiring physicians to notify the parents of minors seeking abortion procedures will be delayed at least through Wednesday, the AP/Springfield State Journal-Register reports. The law was scheduled to take effect Tuesday, but the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it has extended a 90-day grace period initially issued in August.

Susan Hofer, a spokesperson for the agency, said the state's Medical Disciplinary Board will meet Wednesday to discuss the matter. The board either could ask for another extension of the grace period or request that the law be enforced immediately (AP/Springfield State Journal-Register, 11/2).

The law passed in 1995 but went unenforced for years because of a federal injunction, the Chicago Tribune reports. In July, a federal appeals court lifted that injunction. The latest delay relates to concerns about a provision that allows minors to bypass the notification requirement by appearing before a judge. The medical board wants "to ensure the judicial waiver process is accessible to all young women and girls in Illinois," the Tribune reports (Chicago Tribune [1], 11/3).

The Tribune endorsed the law in an editorial Tuesday, calling it an "intelligent middle ground" on abortion (Chicago Tribune [2], 11/3).