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Senate Engrossed House Bill |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2006
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HOUSE BILL 2666 |
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AN ACT
Amending section 36-2152, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to abortion.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 36-2152, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
36-2152. Parental consent; exception; hearings; time limits; violation; classification; definitions
A. A person shall not knowingly perform an abortion on a pregnant unemancipated minor unless the attending physician has secured the written and notarized consent from one of the minor's parents or the minor's guardian or conservator or unless a judge of the superior court authorizes the physician to perform the abortion pursuant to subsection B of this section. Notwithstanding section 41-319, the notarized statement of parental consent and the description of the document or notarial act recorded in the notary journal are confidential and are not public records.
B. A judge of the superior court shall, on petition or motion, and after an appropriate hearing, shall authorize a physician to perform the abortion if the judge determines that the pregnant minor is mature and capable of giving informed consent to the proposed abortion. If the judge determines that the pregnant minor is not mature or if the pregnant minor does not claim to be mature, the judge shall determine whether the performance of an abortion on her without the consent from one of her parents or her guardian or conservator would be in her best interests and shall authorize a physician to perform the abortion without consent if the judge concludes that the pregnant minor's best interests would be served.
C. The pregnant minor may participate in the court proceedings on her own behalf. The court may appoint a guardian ad litem for her. The court shall advise her that she has the right to court appointed counsel and shall, on her request, shall provide her with counsel unless she appears through private counsel or she knowingly and intelligently waives her right to counsel.
D. Proceedings in the court under this section are confidential and have precedence over other pending matters. Members of the public shall not inspect, obtain copies of or otherwise have access to records of court proceedings under this section unless authorized by law. A judge who conducts proceedings under this section shall make in writing specific factual findings and legal conclusions supporting the decision and shall order a confidential record of the evidence to be maintained including the judge's own findings and conclusions. The minor may file the petition using a fictitious name. For purposes of this subsection, public does not include judges, clerks, administrators, professionals or other persons employed by or working under the supervision of the court or employees of other public agencies who are authorized by state or federal rule or law to inspect and copy closed court records.
E. The court shall hold the hearing and shall issue a ruling within forty‑eight hours, excluding weekends and holidays, after the petition is filed. If the court fails to issue a ruling within this time period the petition is deemed to have been granted and the consent requirement is waived.
F. An expedited confidential appeal is available to a pregnant minor for whom the court denies an order authorizing an abortion without parental consent. The appellate court shall hold the hearing and issue a ruling within forty‑eight hours, excluding weekends and holidays, after the petition for appellate review is filed. Filing fees are not required of the pregnant minor at either the trial or the appellate level.
G. Parental consent or judicial authorization is not required under this section if either:
1. The pregnant minor certifies to the attending physician that the pregnancy resulted from sexual conduct with a minor by the minor's parent, stepparent, uncle, grandparent, sibling, adoptive parent, legal guardian or foster parent or by a person who lives in the same household with the minor and the minor's mother. The physician performing the abortion shall report the sexual conduct with a minor to the proper law enforcement officials pursuant to section 13‑3620 and shall preserve and forward a sample of the fetal tissue to these officials for use in a criminal investigation.
2. The attending physician certifies in the pregnant minor's medical record that, on the basis of the physician's good faith clinical judgment, the pregnant minor has a condition that so complicates her medical condition as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death or for which a delay will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily function.
H. A person who performs an abortion in violation of this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. A person is not subject to any liability under this section if the person establishes by written evidence that the person relied on evidence sufficient to convince a careful and prudent person that the representations of the pregnant minor regarding information necessary to comply with this section are true.
I. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Abortion" means the use of an instrument, medicine or drug or other substance or device with the intent to terminate a pregnancy for reasons other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after a live birth, to terminate an ectopic pregnancy or to remove a dead fetus. Abortion does not include birth control devices or oral contraceptives that inhibit or prevent ovulation, fertilization or the implantation of a fertilized ovum within the uterus.
2. "Fetus" means any individual human organism from fertilization until birth.