Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed a bill Tuesday making it illegal for non-parental adults to transport minors to another state for abortion without the knowledge or permission of the minor’s parents.
HB 1895 specifies that anyone who “intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports” a minor to another state for an abortion without parental consent will be subject to a Class A misdemeanor, which comes with mandatory jail time of nearly a year. Currently, nearly all preborn children in the state are protected from abortion.
Abortion proponents have spoken out with claims that the bill — which is in place to protect young women from abusers — will promote ‘fear’ and ‘violence.’
“While the fear of state violence these laws are weaponizing isn’t new, the fear of one another that this law will create is,” said Briana Perry, interim executive director of Healthy and Free Tennessee, a pro-abortion, nonprofit women’s advocacy group. “Every time someone is criminalized and punished for abortion, more people are hesitant to seek help from their support systems. The terror this law will create is the intent of it.”
Those opposed to abortion, especially for minors, disagree.
“Passage of the Underage Abortion Trafficking Act is a victory for Tennessee parents and their daughters,” said Tennessee Right to Life lobbyist, Will Brewer. “This law will go a long way in protecting young girls from predators who want to cover their crimes and from an abortion industry that exploits young girls for profit.”
Abortion industry leader Planned Parenthood has a storied history with protecting abusers and sex traffickers who target young victims. The abortion giant was also caught on video last year by Project Veritas in footage appearing to show willingness to assist a non-parental adult male to take a 13-year-old minor across state lines to undergo an abortion without parental knowledge or consent.
This Tennessee law aims to protect young, vulnerable girls from being taken advantage of by abusers who simply want to move their victims across state lines for abortion without the parents ever knowing. “Parents have a right to be involved with their daughters’ wellbeing. The abortion industry has no right to keep parents in the dark at a time when their daughters are so vulnerable and could possibly be in danger,” said Stacy Dunn, Tennessee Right to Life’s president.
The abortion trafficking bill goes into effect July 1.
