AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF NOTICE TO A PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A MINOR CHILD WHO SEEKS TO RECEIVE PREGNANCY-RELATED HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5309
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1880

Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY

Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF NOTICE TO A PARENT
OR GUARDIAN OF A MINOR CHILD WHO SEEKS TO RECEIVE
PREGNANCY-RELATED HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 19a-601 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
(a) Prior to the performance of an abortion upon a minor, a physician 3
or counselor shall provide pregnancy information and counseling in 4
accordance with this section in a manner and language that will be 5
understood by the minor. The physician or counselor shall: 6
(1) Explain that the information being given to the minor is being 7
given objectively and is not intended to coerce, persuade or induce the 8
minor to choose to have an abortion or to carry the pregnancy to term; 9
(2) Explain that the minor may withdraw a decision to have an 10
abortion at any time before the abortion is performed or may reconsider 11
a decision not to have an abortion at any time within the time period 12
during which an abortion may legally be performed; 13

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(3) Explain to the minor the alternative choices available for 14
managing the pregnancy, including: (A) Carrying the pregnancy to term 15
and keeping the child, (B) carrying the pregnancy to term and placing 16
the child for adoption, placing the child with a relative or obtaining 17
voluntary foster care for the child, and (C) having an abortion, and 18
explain that public and private agencies are available to assist the minor 19
with whichever alternative she chooses and that a list of these agencies 20
and the services available from each will be provided if the minor 21
requests; 22
(4) Explain that public and private agencies are available to provide 23
birth control information and that a list of these agencies and the 24
services available from each will be provided if the minor requests; 25
[(5) Discuss the possibility of involving the minor's parents, guardian 26
or other adult family members in the minor's decision -making 27
concerning the pregnancy and whether the minor believes that 28
involvement would be in the minor's best interests; and] 29
(5) Explain and carry out the following notification procedures to 30
parents, legal guardians or others: 31
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, notice 32
shall be provided to at least one parent or legal guardian of a pregnant 33
unemancipated minor not less than forty -eight hours prior to the 34
performance of an abortion upon such minor. Such notice may be 35
provided by the physician or counselor providing information and 36
counseling; and 37
(B) If a pregnant unemancipated minor declares in a signed written 38
statement that she is a victim of sexual abuse, neglect or physical abuse 39
by either of her parents or her legal guardian, the physician or counselor 40
providing counseling shall provide the notice required pursuant to 41
subparagraph (A) of this subdivision to such minor's brother or sister 42
who is aged twenty -one years or older or a stepparent or grandparent 43
specified by such minor or, if no such person exists, to some other 44

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person who is aged twenty-one years or older specified by such minor; 45
and 46
(6) Provide adequate opportunity for the minor to ask any questions 47
concerning the pregnancy, abortion, child care and adoption, and 48
provide information the minor seeks or, if the person cannot provide the 49
information, indicate where the minor can receive the information. 50
(b) After the person provides the information and counseling to a 51
minor as required by this section, such person shall have the minor sign 52
and date a form stating that: 53
(1) The minor has received information on alternatives to abortion 54
and that there are agencies that will provide assistance and that a list of 55
these agencies and the services available from each will be provided if 56
the minor requests; 57
(2) The minor has received an explanation that the minor may 58
withdraw an abortion decision or reconsider a decision to carry a 59
pregnancy to term; 60
(3) The alternatives available for managing the pregnancy have been 61
explained to the minor; 62
(4) The minor has received an explanation about agencies available 63
to provide birth control information and that a list of these agencies and 64
the services available from each will be provided if the minor requests; 65
(5) The minor [has discussed with the person providing the 66
information and counseling the possibility of involving the minor's 67
parents, guardian or other adult family members in the minor's 68
decision-making about the pregnancy ] received an explanation of the 69
parental notification requirements pursuant to subdivision (5) of 70
subsection (a) of this section; 71
(6) If applicable, the minor has determined that not involving the 72
minor's parents, guardian or other adult family members is in the 73

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minor's best interests; and 74
(7) The minor has been given an adequate opportunity to ask 75
questions. 76
(c) The person providing the information and counseling shall also 77
sign and date the form and shall include such person's business address 78
and business telephone number. The person shall keep a copy for such 79
minor's medical record and shall give the form to the minor or, if the 80
minor requests and if such person is not the attending physician, 81
transmit the form to the minor's attending physician. Such medical 82
record shall be maintained as otherwise provided by law. 83
(d) The provision of pregnancy information and counseling by a 84
physician or counselor which is evidenced in writing containing the 85
information and statements provided in this section and which is signed 86
by the minor shall be presumed to be evidence of compliance with the 87
requirements of this section. 88
(e) (1) No health care provider, authorized to perform an abortion 89
pursuant to section 19a -602, shall perform an abortion upon a minor 90
until the written statement required pursuant to subparagraph (A) of 91
subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section, certifying that the 92
physician or counselor providing the information and counseling under 93
subsection (a) of this section has provided notice to at least one parent 94
or legal guardian of such minor , is received. If the health care provider 95
performing the abortion receives a signed statement pursuant to 96
subparagraph (B) of subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section, such 97
physician shall certify in the minor's medical record that such health 98
care provider has received such statement. Any health care provider 99
relying in good faith on such statement shall not be civilly or criminally 100
liable for failure to give the notice required pursuant to subparagraph 101
(A) of subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section. 102
(2) The minor may petition a court for a waiver of the notice 103
requirements pursuant to subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section 104

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and may participate in proceedings on her own behalf. The petition shall 105
include a statement that the minor is pregnant and unemancipated. The 106
petition shall also include a statement that such notice requirements 107
have not been waived by the parent or legal guardian and that the minor 108
wishes to obtain an abortion without giving such required notification. 109
The court shall appoint a guardian for the minor. 110
(A) If the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the 111
minor is both sufficiently mature and well -informed to decide whether 112
to have an abortion, the court shall issue an order authorizing the minor 113
to consent to the performance of an abortion without such required 114
notification. If the court does not make the finding specified in this 115
subparagraph or in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, it shall dismiss 116
the petition. 117
(B) If the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that there 118
is a pattern of physical, sexual or emotional abuse of the minor by one 119
or both of her parents or her legal guardian, or that the notification of a 120
parent or legal guardian is not in the best interest of the minor, the court 121
shall issue an order authorizing the minor to consent to the performance 122
of an abortion without such required notification. If the court does not 123
make the finding specified in this subparagraph or in subparagraph (A) 124
of this subdivision, it shall dismiss the petition. 125
[(e)] (f) The requirements of this section shall not apply when, in the 126
best medical judgment of the physician based on the facts of the case 127
before him, a medical emergency exists that so complicates the 128
pregnancy or the health, safety or well -being of the minor as to require 129
an immediate abortion. A physician who does not comply with the 130
requirements of this section by reason of this exception shall state in the 131
medical record of the abortion the medical indications on which his 132
judgment was based. 133
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

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Section 1 from passage 19a-601

Statement of Purpose:
To (1) require the provision of notice to a parent or guardian of a minor
child who seeks to receive pregnancy -related health care services, and
(2) establish a court process to determine if such notice must be
provided in a situation involving a minor child who does not want such
notice to be provided.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]