House legal committee hears opposition to Senate Project 297 on abortion protocol for girls 15 and under

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The House of Representatives’ Comisión de lo Jurídico on May 13 heard hours of testimony opposing Senate Project 297, a proposed law that would establish a protocol governing abortions for girls 15 years old or younger.

At the hearing, attorneys, clinic representatives and advocacy organizations told legislators the measure is unnecessary because the Department of Health already adopted regulations addressing clinical protocols and that the bill could have harmful legal and practical effects for minors who are survivors of sexual violence.

“No hablamos de un tema nuevo: el Departamento de Salud ya aprobó y entraron en vigor unas enmiendas al reglamento de las clínicas de terminación de embarazo,” said Noeli Pérez de la Torre, an attorney representing the Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico. Pérez de la Torre argued the department’s regulatory amendments (submitted under the Uniform Administrative Procedure process) already implement many of the changes the bill would order the department to make.

Cristina Parés Alicea, executive director of Proyecto Matria, told the committee the bill “impone cargas innecesarias a las menores que desean interrumpir un embarazo” and criticized its focus on administrative requirements rather than on prevention and supports for young people.

Representatives from clinical providers said the bill would single out a narrow…