Las Vegas, NV – A federal judge has temporarily blocked the enforcement of a decades-old Nevada law requiring parental notification for minors seeking abortions, amid ongoing legal challenges in the post-Roe v. Wade era.
U.S. District Judge Anne Traum issued the stay on Monday, April 27, granting Planned Parenthood a window to file an appeal before the law can take effect. The statute, enacted in 1985, had remained dormant for years following Roe v. Wade. However, after the landmark decision was overturned in 2022, questions arose about whether previously unenforced state laws could be revived.
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, a leading reproductive rights organization, contends that the law remains “unconstitutionally vague” and infringes upon the rights of minors. The organization also raised concerns that enforcing the statute without clear procedural safeguards could create legal and logistical barriers for young people seeking access to reproductive care.
Under Nevada’s current law, abortions are permitted up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, with minors having the option to seek a judicial bypass if parental notification is not feasible or in their best interest.
Judge Traum’s temporary injunction halts enforcement for the time being. If Planned Parenthood files its appeal within seven days, the stay will remain in place until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reviews the case. Should the organization fail to appeal within that period, the 1985 law could be reinstated.
The case highlights ongoing legal battles nationwide as states reexamine long-standing abortion statutes in a shifting constitutional landscape.
