Testimony of
Deacon David Reynolds
Associate Director of Public Policy
in Support of H.B. 5309
AAC The Provision of Notice To A Parent Or Guardian Of A Minor Child Who Seeks To Receive Pregnancy-Related Health Care Services
Judiciary Committee Public Hearing
March 2, 2026
I would like to thank the Co-Chairs and members of this committee for their willingness to hold a public hearing on HB 5309, which addresses the controversial issue of parental notification when a minor is considering an abortion. Since the passage of Roe v. Wade, balancing the legal rights and health interests of teenage girls who become pregnant with parental rights has been a highly debated topic throughout our nation. Unfortunately, in Connecticut this topic has seldom, if ever, been addressed at the level it is today.
The Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference urges the members of this committee to support H.B. 5309. This bill only requires parents be notified of their minor’s desire for an abortion. It does not require parental consent. In fact, many parents may support the girl’s desire to have an abortion Many people hope that this type of legislation will lead to fewer abortions, but it is also about the safety and care of young girls.
Parental notification or consent laws are active in thirty-eight states (see attached). Connecticut is in the small minority of states that have never adopted these types of laws. Connecticut is one of the few remaining states that have never adopted parental consent or notification laws. Connecticut’s neighboring states have different laws concerning parental notification or consent. New York, like Connecticut, requires no parental involvement. Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine have strict parental consent laws. New Hampshire has a parental notification law. The list of thirty-eight states shows that this is not just a red state versus blue state or a pro-choice versus anti-abortion issue. In thirty of the thirty-eight states the term “minor” is defined as a girl under eighteen years of age. Unfortunately, in this legislation a “minor” applies only to girls under sixteen years of age.
Current state law only directs an abortion provider to discuss possibly involving a girl’s parents. This is like having the fox watch the henhouse. The current process in Connecticut places a young minor in a situation with a medical provider who may have conflicting interests and does not know the medical and psychological history or needs of the girl. It does not require them to provide post-abortion support or care. The minor child is left on their own, caught in a very difficult situation, a life altering situation, with the only assistance coming from a provider, who is a stranger.
Connecticut law appears conflicted when it comes to a minor procuring an abortion versus other health sensitive activities. A fourteen-year-old girl in Connecticut can receive an abortion, without any parental involvement, but cannot have a body piercing or be given an aspirin at school without written parental consent. Why do the legislative leaders of our state believe a girl fourteen years old is mature enough to give informed consent to an abortion procedure, but not be responsible enough when it comes to obtaining a tattoo? Almost all medical procedures in Connecticut concerning a minor require parental consent. Why is an abortion an exception?
Over the last few years, Connecticut has begun to recognize, within its criminal laws, that the human brain does not fully develop until a person is around twenty-five years of age. How can it at the same time support the premise that a young minor girl, under the age of sixteen, is mature enough to handle a situation where she finds herself pregnant and alone. Possibly being a victim of sexual assault or human trafficking.
H.B. 5309 will help to ensure that a pregnant minor receives appropriate support, both emotionally and medically, from a parent or adult family member, when facing an unexpected pregnancy. It will also decrease the potential for sexual predators to hide behind existing privacy laws concerning a minor’s abortion through the inclusion of a family member in the decision-making process. The act attempts to meet this goal by requiring notification of a parent, or adult family member, of a minor under the age of sixteen years of age.
The proposed legislation also includes a judicial bypass procedure if a girl feels she cannot contact any adult family members. This is a current component of existing parental notification laws around the country and is required by the U.S. Supreme Court. An abortion could also be performed in the case of a medical emergency without notification. If the young girl is a victim of assault by a parent or guardian, H.B. 5309 allows her to inform a trusted adult over twenty-one years of age.
The goals of parental notification laws are:
- To ensure parental rights relating to the welfare of their children are respected.
- To ensure teenage girls benefit from the best possible care before, during and after the abortion.
- To ensure the girls best interests are represented during the decision-making process.
- To protect girls from sexual abuse and sexual predators.