On December 17, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Youth Health and Safety Act (HB 370) into law, the bill that repeals the Parental Notification Act (PNA) in Illinois.
PNA went into effect in 2013 and mandated that health care providers must notify an adult family member if anyone 17 years old and younger wants to have an abortion.
HB 370, which will go into effect June 1, 2022, repeals PNA by putting measures in place that will provide Illinois youth with accessible options and support.
Unlike PNA, activists say HB 370 advocates for Illinois youth and gives them resources to make decisions about abortion with the trusted people in their life.
Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois, provided a statement on the repeal.
“It [HB 370] couldn’t have happened at a more crucial time, as reproductive rights are hanging by a thread across the country,” she wrote. “By signing the Youth Health and Safety Act into law, Illinois has ensured that young people can decide to involve the people they trust in their health care decisions and are protected from harmful domestic situations and unnecessary judicial interactions. In short, all Illinoisans, regardless of age, now have the full legal autonomy to make reproductive health care decisions that are best for their bodies.”
As abortion restrictions tighten around the country, Illinois takes a step forward in protecting the rights of its residents and the many that will now travel to the state for much-needed care.