The age of medical consent would increase from 14 to 18 in Alabama under two bills pending in the Alabama Senate.
Sens. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, and Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, filed nearly identical bills, Senate Bill 58 and Senate Bill 101, respectively. Both advanced out of the Senate Children and Youth Health Committee meeting last week with GOP support, putting them in line for a potential Senate vote this week.
Givhan said lawmakers became concerned about the current age of consent during the COVID-19 pandemic. His proposal would give parents control over whether minors receive vaccines and their mental health treatment.
“I think (their children’s health) is something that parents want to be involved in,” Givhan said in committee last week. “I understand there’s an argument that there’s some parents that are not involved … but the parents that are involved in their children’s lives want to be aware of their medical decisions, and want to have input in those medical decisions.”
Stutts agreed.
“(There are) parents that aren’t perfect parents, but the fundamental principle should be that parents have the right to be involved, and should be involved,” said Stutts, who chairs the committee.
Exceptions
Both bills carve out exceptions in which minors would keep their medical consent authority if: They’ve graduated high school; they’re pregnant; married or divorced; emancipated; living away from their parents or guardians and financially independent.
Under the new legislation, minors would not need parental consent for health services to “prevent or determine the presence of pregnancy” or for drug or alcohol testing.
Rep. Susan Dubose, R-Hoover, has similar legislation, House Bill 267. It has more than 20 co-sponsors.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Mary Sell and originally published by Alabama Daily News. It is reprinted with permission.
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