Fifty-six lawmakers have signed off on a letter, addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II, calling for an investigation into Planned Parenthood over allegations that the abortion-provider has covered up evidence of child sex abuse.

The letter, dated June 7, is pursuant to a report compiled and released by Live Action. It reads in part:

“The report’s findings suggest that abusers feel comfortable taking their victims to Planned Parenthood. We are therefore requesting an investigation into Title X recipients, particularly Planned Parenthood, to determine how widespread this failure is and if there are other instances where Planned Parenthood failed in its duty to report suspected child abuse to local authorities and to HHS.”

Live Action founder Lila Rose explained that the roots of abuse cover-up run deep in the abortion industry, saying, “What these abusers do––what sexual traffickers do––to their victims is take them or threaten to send them by force to an abortion facility, which can become a key place for that abuse to be covered up. And Planned Parenthood, instead of reporting the abuse as they’re mandated to do in virtually all fifty states by law––instead of reporting abuse, instead of being that person who can encounter a girl in a situation of extreme distress and be that moment of intervention for her––does a secret abortion, has a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell policy,’ and sends this vulnerable young girl back into the arms of sex abusers.” (RELATED: Planned Parenthood Engaged In Massive Sex Abuse Cover-Up, Investigative Report Finds [VIDEO])

Federal law states that any organization that provides health services under Title X is exempt from state laws that compel reporting in cases of abuse, rape, or incest.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no provider of services under Title X of the Public Health Service Act shall be exempt from any State law requiring notification or the reporting of child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, or incest.”

Live Action’s report, along with a series of videos, allege Planned Parenthood has been complicit in covering up such crimes by allowing abortions to be performed on girls as young as 12 without notifying authorities. Since 12 is below the age of consent in all 50 states, failure to report such an abortion is considered the failure to report a crime under Title X.