Contact: Mike Byrne, Friends of Sarah, 866-828-8355

SAN DIEGO, June 2 /Standard Newswire/ -- Sarah's Law, the latest version of an initiative requiring family involvement in a minor's abortion, has qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot, the California Secretary of State has determined. The measure seeks to protect minors from the dangers of secret abortions, while at the same time answering objections from opponents to earlier parental notification initiatives.

Named for a 15-year-old girl who died just four days after an abortion left her with a torn cervix and fatal infection, Sarah's Law will protect the health and safety of young girls and prevent sexual predators from hiding behind secret abortions performed on their minor victims. Physicians in Sarah's case said that, had an adult family member been aware that she had undergone an abortion, her life likely could have been spared by prompt medical attention.

Opponents of parental involvement have claimed that such laws endanger minors from abusive homes. Sarah's Law will ensure that young girls in this situation are protected by providing that, if she reports abuse by either parent, the physician could instead notify another adult family member - a grandparent, aunt, step-parent, or adult sibling. The measure also includes judicial bypass provisions and a means by which parents can pre-authorize minor abortions without being informed.

Proponents submitted more than 1.2 million signatures on petitions seeking a rematch on adult involvement in minors' abortions, after Propositions 73 and 85 were narrowly defeated in 2005 and 2006. On Friday, May 30, the Secretary of State, using random sampling, determined that Sarah's Law had qualified and will be placed before voters in November.

If approved by voters, Sarah's Law will require a physician to notify a parent or other adult family member before performing an abortion on a minor girl under the age of 18.

"Legislation was passed in this state in October requiring a minor to bring a parent into a tanning salon to sign a consent form because of health risks," said Grace Dulaney, Sarah's Law spokeswoman. "Common sense would dictate that some adult in the family be notified prior to an abortion, a serious medical procedure with significant potential health risks.

"Additionally, many of these minor girls are impregnated by adult male sexual predators who, under California law, are hiding their crimes of statutory rape by coercing their victims to have secret abortions," said Dulaney. "Sarah's Law shows that we don't have to choose between protecting young girls from the dangers of secret abortions and ensuring their safety at home. This is a win-win solution. It's a progressive law for a progressive state."

For broadcast interviews: Grace Dulaney, 760-580-5753 (Southern California) or Dolores Meehan (Bay Area) 415-860-7899, Albin Rhomberg (Sacramento) 916-427-1671
For print media interviews: Erica Little, 619-507-8113, Catherine Short 707-337-6880, Albin Rhomberg 916-427-1671
Other questions or interview requests: Mike Byrne, 866-828-8355