House Bill 449, the “Adoption Option Act,” Louisiana Right to Life’s flagship legislation for 2018, was unanimously moved out of the Health and Welfare Committee on April 4. It will now be voted on by the full House, then make its way to the Senate.
The bill, authored by Rep. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge, focuses on ensuring that women considering abortion in Louisiana are provided more compelling and relevant information about the option of adoption before deciding to carry through with an abortion.
When preparing this legislation we were surprised to learn that almost all the information provided by Louisiana’s Department of Health about adoption was focused toward those couples looking to adopt. Virtually nothing was directed toward birth parents. This needs to change.
Currently in America, there are only two babies placed for adoption for every 100 abortions performed. This is a sad statistic. We know there are many couples waiting to adopt, but because of abortion, there are just not enough babies available to be adopted. We must change this heartbreaking reality.
The short film I Lived on Parker Avenue has endeavored to change that reality, and now the “Adoption Option Act” is an outgrowth of the film and its message. David Scotton, the main subject of the film and the adoptee who was almost aborted, said, “I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the adoption option. I hope the “Adoption Option Act” can be a lifeline to a birth mother, offering her the chance to bless a family with a baby, just like my birth mother placed me into my parents’ hands.”
The “Adoption Option Act” will ensure that Louisiana’s Department of Health website will have more positive information for birth parents about the benefits of adoption. The Act will also guarantee that materials distributed to women in abortion facilities will also contain information about adoption.
Three other pro-life bills advanced out of the committee on April 4. These bills, HB 273, 287, and 338, are at pulling our laws passed in previous years from the confines of federal court. The bills all tweak laws facing challenges in federal court in hopes that the small adjustments will make the court challenges by pro-abortion groups moot.
