What statutes govern reproductive law in the United States?

The United States has a variety of statutes that govern reproductive law, which refer to laws and regulations that regulate access to and the use of reproductive health services. The most important federal laws that regulate reproductive law in the United States are the Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, and the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Act. The Roe v. Wade decision, handed down in 1973, established the constitutional right to have an abortion. This ruling declared that the right to privacy under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment covers the right to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability. The Partial-Birth Abortion Act, passed in 2003, prohibits a certain type of abortion procedure known as partial-birth abortion, except in cases when the mother’s life or health is in danger. State and local laws are also important in governing reproductive law. For example, in New Hampshire, the state has enacted a “Parental Notification Before Abortion Act”, which requires minors seeking abortions to obtain the consent of one parent or guardian. This law does not apply if the minor obtains an abortion through judicial bypass, where a judge approves an abortion without the parent’s consent. The statutes governing reproductive law in the United States are important and complex. The laws can differ at the state level and can vary from year to year, so it is important to know the local laws when making choices relating to reproductive health.

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