Adolescent Family Life Act

Adolescent Family Life Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long title Adolescent Family Life Act
Legislative history
United States Supreme Court cases
Bowen v. Kendrick

The Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) is a United States federal law enacted in 1981 during the Reagan Administration.[1] AFLA provided funding for a series of social programs aimed at promoting abstinence through reproductive health education.[1]

Background

The bill was proposed by Jeremiah Denton (R-AL) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) as an amendment to the Public Health Service Act of 1970.[2]

Controversy

The bill carried strong religious undertones, particularly with the strategic funding of Catholic organizations.[3] Consequently, questions were raised with regards to the constitutionality of the law.[1] The case was later brought before the Supreme Court in 1988 in Bowen v. Kendrick.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Walker, TG (1989). "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 11 (2).
  2. ↑ Schultz, JD (1999). Encyclopedia of Women in American Politics. Greenwood Publishing Group.
  3. ↑ Donovan, P (1984). "The Adolescent Family Life Act and the promotion of religious doctrine.". Family Planning Perspectives 16 (5): 222–228. doi:10.2307/2135070.