Planned Parenthood Files Lawsuit to Halt Nevada Abortion Law Revival

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Planned Parenthood Mar Monte has filed a legal challenge in Nevada seeking to prevent the enforcement of a decades-old abortion law that would require parental notification before minors can obtain abortions. The organization argues the law was declared unconstitutional and cannot legally be reinstated.

The original law, Assembly Bill 510, was passed by the Nevada Legislature in 1985. It mandated that physicians notify a parent or guardian before performing an abortion on an “unmarried or unemancipated” minor. n 1991, a federal court declared the law unconstitutional under the protections of Roe v. Wade and issued a permanent injunction blocking its enforcement.

Following the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Elko and White Pine County district attorneys filed motions to lift the original federal injunction, potentially reviving the law. In response, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, an affiliate based in California that operates clinics in Nevada, filed the lawsuit in Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court, joined by a licensed Nevada physician referred to as Dr. Doe for privacy.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argue that the law, having once been deemed unconstitutional, cannot be reinstated now. The 1985 statute includes criminal penalties for doctors who fail to notify a minor’s parent before an abortion, which the lawsuit claims could jeopardize medical professionals’ ability to provide care.

The complaint also emphasizes that while most adolescents do involve a parent or guardian in their decision, a small number have legitimate reasons to seek confidentiality. “Forced parental involvement may endanger their emotional and physical well-being,” the suit states, pointing to risks like threats to housing stability or exposure to abuse.

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s position reflects concern over the broader implications of reviving dormant legislation in the wake of shifting judicial precedent. The case now rests with the Nevada court system, where it could set a precedent for how states handle outdated abortion laws in the post-Roe legal environment.