(CNSNews.com) - When the U.S. House of Representatives meets after its Easter recess, one emotional item on the legislative agenda will be the Child Custody Protection Act (CCPA), a measure that would make the transportation of a minor across state lines for easier access to an abortion a federal offense.

"By making the circumvention of state parental consent and notification laws a federal misdemeanor, this legislation will not only help uphold the laws of our country, but it will give back to parents the right to parent. It will strengthen family bonds, and most importantly, it will ensure that America's youth have a safer, healthier and brighter future," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the law's primary sponsor.

Both the 105th and 106th Congress passed the legislation, but the measure has not been brought to the floor of the Senate, where it will face its ultimate test, reported Jessie Torres, spokeswoman for Ros-Lehtinen.

Torres acknowledged that it would be tough to see the bill passed in the Senate regardless of the outcome in the House, but "the first step is to try and get it through the House," she said.

The fact that pro-life President George W. Bush is in the White House makes it more likely that the bill will become law, if Congress approves it, Torres said.

"We have a president that we know will be in favor of it," she said. "It is something that Americans overwhelmingly support. Many states have consensual notification laws on their books for a reason."

Some abortion rights advocates oppose the Child Custody Protection Act, calling it a punishment to young women.

"This bill does not protect children: it endangers young women seeking abortions by forcing those who can neither involve their parents nor face a judge to take matters into their own hands," said Rosemary Dempsey, director of government relations for the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP).

"Many young women will travel alone or even risk an unsafe abortion rather than their parents' disapproval or anger," she said.

The CRLP has also called the goals of the act an "impossible" task.

"This bill is an attempt to legislate family dynamics - an impossible task. You can't create a functional family for a young woman by passing a law," added Nicole Noorigian, CRLP fellowship attorney and lead researcher on CCPA.

Julia Ernst, legislative counsel for CRLP, said the CCPA forces young women to face abortion alone without the help of a loved one.

"This bill does nothing to help a young woman. Instead it can punish her, forcing her to seek an abortion alone, without the help of a caring, trusted adult, if she cannot involve her parents," Ernst said.

"CCPA's narrow definition of parent ignores the realities of young women's lives. Most young women talk to their parents about an unwanted pregnancy. Those who feel that they cannot talk to their parents must be able to rely on a grandparent, older sister or counselor for support," Noorigian said.

The Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life advocacy group in Alexandria, Va., has long been in support of the CCPA and hopes the bill will become law soon.

"We, very obviously, applaud the passage so far of the act and look forward to it coming before the full House very shortly," said Andrea Bottner, congressional liaison for the Susan B. Anthony List.