Adolescent Family Life Act Explained
| Shorttitle: | Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 |
| Longtitle: | A bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 301 of the First Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for the Fiscal Year 1982 |
| Colloquialacronym: | AFLA |
| Nickname: | Adolescent Family Life Act, Chastity Act,[1] Chastity Bill[2] |
| Enacted By: | 97th |
| Acts Amended: | Public Health Service Act |
| Title Amended: | 42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Social Welfare |
| Introducedin: | House |
| Introducedby: | James R. Jones (D-OK-1) |
| Introduceddate: | 19 June 1981 |
| Committees: | Budget |
| Passedbody1: | House |
| Passeddate1: | 26 June 1981 |
| Passedvote1: | 232–193 |
| Passedbody2: | Senate |
| Passeddate2: | 13 July 1981 |
| Passedvote2: | Voice |
| Conferencedate: | 29 July 1981 |
| Passedbody3: | House |
| Passeddate3: | 31 July 1981 |
| Passedvote3: | Unanimous Consent |
| Passedbody4: | Senate |
| Passeddate4: | 31 July 1981 |
| Passedvote4: | 80-14 |
| Signedpresident: | Ronald Reagan |
| Signeddate: | 13 August 1981 |
| Scotus Cases: | Bowen v. Kendrick |
The Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) is a United States federal law enacted during the Reagan Administration as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981.[3] AFLA provided funding for a series of social programs aimed at promoting abstinence through reproductive health education.
Background
The original bill,, was proposed by Jeremiah Denton (R-AL) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) as an amendment to the Public Health Service Act of 1970.[4] [5] On 4 November 1981, Senate voted to indefinitely postpone S. 1090.[4] However, its provisions to amend the Public Health Service Act, repeal parts of the Health Services and Centers Amendments of 1978, and provide grants for the Adolescent Family Life Demonstration Projects were incorporated into the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981.[6] [7]
Controversy
The bill carried strong religious undertones, particularly with the strategic funding of Catholic organizations.[8] Consequently, questions were raised with regard to the constitutionality of the law. The case was later brought before the Supreme Court in 1988 in Bowen v. Kendrick, which upheld the law.
Notes and References
- Janet . Benshoof . June 1988 . The Chastity Act: Government Manipulation of Abortion Information and the First Amendment . Harvard Law Review . 101 . 8 . 1916–1937 . 1341442 . 10.2307/1341442 . 10288540 .
- Dryfoos . Joy G. . January 1985 . A time for new thinking about teenage pregnancy . American Journal of Public Health . 75 . 1 . 13–14 . 3966593 . 1646136 . 10.2105/AJPH.75.1.13 .
- Walker. Thomas Gray. Constitutional Law - The Constitutionality of the Adolescent Family Life Act: An Analysis of Bowen v. Kendrick and Its Impact on Current Establishment Clause Jurisprudence. Campbell Law Review. 243–262. Spring 1989. 11. 2. 2016-10-27. 2016-10-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20161028083534/http://scholarship.law.campbell.edu/clr/vol11/iss2/4/. live.
- Web site: S.1090 - A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support services and research relating to adolescent pregnancy and parenthood . Congress.gov . 4 November 1981 . Library of Congress . 27 October 2016 . 28 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161028085303/https://www.congress.gov/bill/97th-congress/senate-bill/1090 . live .
- Book: Schultz. Jeffery D.. van Assendelft. Laura A.. Encyclopedia of Women in American Politics. 1999. Oryx Press. 1573561312.
- Saul . Rebekah . April 1998 . Whatever Happened to the Adolescent Family Life Act? . The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy . 1 . 2 . 5,10–11 . 2016-10-27 . 2016-10-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161028083626/https://www.guttmacher.org/about/gpr/1998/04/whatever-happened-adolescent-family-life-act . live .
- Web site: H.R.3982 - Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 . Congress.gov . 13 August 1981 . Library of Congress . 27 October 2016 . 28 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161028085246/https://www.congress.gov/bill/97th-congress/house-bill/3982 . live .
- Donovan. Patricia. The Adolescent Family Life Act and the promotion of religious doctrine.. Family Planning Perspectives. September 1984. 16. 5. 222–228 . 2135070 . 6500022 . 10.2307/2135070.
