House bill would require Medicaid providers to give parents FDA medication guide and written consent for psychotropic drugs for minors

House lawmakers heard testimony on HB 732-FN on parental notification for psychotropic medications, a bill that would require providers prescribing those drugs to Medicaid-enrolled minors to review the FDA medication guide with a parent or legal guardian and obtain written consent.

Supporters said the bill aims to increase parental awareness of risks associated with psychotropic medications; state Medicaid officials and other witnesses raised concerns about narrow scope, administrative costs and how consent works when children are in out-of-home placements.

Representative Glenn Cordelli, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee the measure is “about parents’ rights and transparency” and said psychotropic drugs are already defined in statute as medicines prescribed to treat conditions that affect “psychological functioning, perception, behavior or mood.” He recommended that providers “review the FDA guideline for that medication with the parent and obtain their written consent knowing the risks and potential side effects of the medication.”

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