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Sponsors say SB 274 would restore parental involvement in minor mental-health care; committee presses for emergency and definitional clarifications
Summary
Sponsors told the Senate Health Committee SB 274 would require parents to be notified and involved when minors receive significant mental-health services, preserve mandatory reporting and child-protective exceptions, and would remove existing longer delay allowances; committee members pressed sponsors to clarify definitions (what counts as 'mental-health services') and emergency/counseling exceptions.
Senate sponsors presented SB 274 as a measure to ensure parents remain informed and involved when minors receive significant mental-health services. "Who should be responsible for raising a child, the parent or the government?" a sponsor asked in opening testimony, arguing the General Assembly has affirmed parents' primary role and that mental health is health care.
Sponsors told the committee the bill would align Ohio law with the Parents' Bill of Rights (House Bill 8) and would not change mandatory reporting responsibilities or the authority of child-protective services and law enforcement. "Nothing in Senate Bill 274 changes Ohio's mandatory reporting laws," a sponsor said.
Committee members pressed sponsors on operational details. One member asked whether the bill removes an existing provision that permits certain brief mental-health services for up to 30 days or six sessions without parental involvement; a sponsor confirmed the bill shortens that delay and said the intent is immediate notification rather than a prolonged allowance. Members also asked what counts as a mental-health service (counselor, guidance counselor, mental-health professional) and whether a student who asks to see a counselor would trigger notification; sponsors said routine, self-initiated counseling requests would not, but identification of a problem the counselor believes requires remediation should prompt timely parental notification.
Sponsors repeatedly emphasized that emergency or critical care would not be withheld. "They're emergency care, critical care, is not to be delayed. It's to be coincident with parental notification as best as possible," a sponsor said in response to committee concerns.
Sponsors offered to work with the chair and committee on clarifying language to ensure the bill does not unintentionally delay crisis treatment while establishing a stronger parental-notification standard.
The committee concluded the sponsor testimony and ended the hearing on SB 274.
