Committee advances HJR 54 substitute to restore reproductive-health protections; panel debates parental consent and minors' access

The House Committee on Legislative Review voted 6-3 to advance a house committee substitute for House Joint Resolution 54, a proposed constitutional amendment that would insert a new section (section 37) addressing reproductive health care and parental consent.

Representative Melanie Stinnett, sponsor of the substitute, told the committee the measure would explicitly allow parental consent for reproductive-health decisions for minors except in medical emergencies, define reproductive health care as health care relating to a woman's potential or actual pregnancy, reaffirm a government compelling interest in the health, safety and welfare of women receiving reproductive health care, preserve malpractice remedies and state that nothing in the constitution would require public or private funding of such care. The substitute designates Cole County as the venue for legal challenges and contains a…