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House raises medical‑consent age to 16, citing family access to care decisions
Summary
Lawmakers voted to raise the age at which minors may consent to general medical care from 14 to 16. Sponsors said the change restores parental involvement for 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds and addresses concerns that parents currently lack access to medical records and decision‑making for teens under 16.
The House adopted a substitute and passed Senate Bill 101, which raises the age at which a person may consent to medical care from 14 to 16. Sponsors and supporters described the change as restoring parental involvement for younger adolescents and clarifying the law for mental‑health, dental and general health services.
Representative Debose (sponsor explanation on floor) said Alabama had set 14 as the age of consent in 1972 and that the state’s medical practice and parental expectations have since changed. Members said 14 and 15 year olds’ brains are still developing and parents should generally be included in decision‑making. Supporters emphasized that the bill would not remove access for older teens but would require parental inclusion for medical records and decisions for 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds unless exceptions in other statutes apply.
A narrow amendment specified that mental‑health services relevant to suicide or bullying counseling offered by a local board of education should be treated carefully: the amendment clarified that individual suicide or bullying counseling requires parental consent as distinct from general school programming.
The House recorded a unanimous or near‑unanimous vote to adopt the substitute and pass the bill; sponsors said the change would bring Alabama closer to parental expectations and cited concerns about confidentiality that currently prevent parents from accessing records for 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds.
