HB246 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben HarrisonRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Consent to medical treatment; age of medical majority, established at 18; circumstances in which a minor may receive medical treatment, revised

Summary

HB246 would create an age of medical majority at 18 and tighten minors' consent rules for medical, dental, and mental health services, while adding a coordinated, district-wide approach to school-based mental health care and required parental involvement.

What This Bill Does

It establishes 18 as the default medical majority, with additional paths (high school graduation, GED, marriage, or divorce). Minors under majority would generally need a parent or guardian's consent for medical, dental, or mental health services, except in urgent cases where delaying treatment would risk death or permanent injury; minors with majority may consent themselves. The bill lets a parent or guardian authorize mental health services for a minor who refuses in certain circumstances. It repeals a current provision allowing minors to consent to sexually transmitted disease treatment and creates a statewide requirement for a local mental health service coordinator in every school system, plus rules for school-based mental health programs, including an opt-in/parent-notification framework and separate health records.

Who It Affects

• Minors: Under majority, they face parental consent requirements for most medical, dental, and mental health services; under certain conditions they may be able to consent, and urgent treatment rules apply; those 14 and older have specific considerations for school-based services and bone marrow donation.
• Parents/Guardians and schools: Parents gain authority to authorize certain mental health services for minors who have not reached majority even if the minor refuses, and schools must implement opt-in policies, provide annual notifications, obtain written parental permission, and maintain mental health records separately from academic records.

Key Provisions

• Establishes 'age of medical majority' at 18 or older, with additional qualifying paths: high school graduation, GED, marriage, or divorce.
• Requires consent for medical, dental, and mental health services to align with medical majority; minors under majority generally need parental consent unless an urgent case where delay would risk death or permanent injury.
• Allows a parent or legal guardian to authorize certain mental health services for a minor who refuses, under specified circumstances.
• Repeals Section 22-11A-19, removing minor consent for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Requires local boards of education to hire a mental health service coordinator in each district, with defined qualification criteria and a requirement to earn a school-based mental health certificate within one year.
• Mandates needs assessments and resource maps annually to guide student mental health services, and allows adoption of rules/policies for implementation.
• Imposes an opt-in/parent consent framework for school-based mental health services, including annual written notices to parents, specific written permission for participation, and records kept separately from academic records.
• Effective date: October 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health