HB267 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Susan DuBoseRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Consent to medical treatment; age at which minor may consent to medical treatment revised, exceptions further provided for

Summary

HB267 would raise the age a minor can consent to most health services to 18, with certain exceptions, and strengthen parental rights and school-based mental health programs.

What This Bill Does

Generally, minors would need to be 18 to consent to medical, dental, and mental health services, including participation in school counseling, vaccines, and bone marrow donation, unless they are married, divorced, pregnant, emancipated, or living independently from their parents or guardians. Minors would still be able to consent to services related to pregnancy prevention or treatment, sexually transmitted infections, and alcohol or drug dependency. Parents would have the right to access their minor child's health information, with limited exceptions such as a court order or if the parent is under investigation for a crime against the child, and the bill reinforces that parents have a fundamental right to make health care decisions for their child. The bill also requires local schools to appoint mental health service coordinators, establish school-based mental health policies with an opt-in consent process for students, and requires annual notifications and separate health records for mental health information.

Who It Affects

• Minors in public K-12 settings: generally face changes to the age of consent for health services (18, with specified exceptions) and new requirements for school-based mental health services, including parental opt-in and notification requirements.
• Parents or legal guardians: gain reinforced rights to access their child’s health information (with limited exceptions) and to make health care decisions for their child; they must provide annual opt-in permission for mental health services conducted at school.

Key Provisions

• Raise the general age of consent for medical, dental, and mental health services to 18, including school counseling, vaccines, and bone marrow donation, with exceptions for being married, divorced, pregnant, emancipated, or living independently from parents/guardian.
• Allow minors to consent to services to prevent or treat pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and alcohol or drug dependency.
• Prohibit health care providers or government entities from denying a parent access to the minor’s health information except if a court order blocks access or the parent is under investigation for a crime against the child.
• Affirm that parents have a fundamental right to make decisions about health care for their minor child.
• Create a mental health service coordinator in each local board of education to coordinate student mental health services, with specified qualification requirements and a requirement to earn a school-based mental health certificate within a year.
• Require annual needs assessments and resource maps for school mental health, allow implementation rules, and tie funding to legislative appropriations.
• Implement school district policies requiring parental opt-in for mental health services, including annual written notifications, specific written permission for participation, and keeping mental health records separate from academic records.
• Limit ongoing school counseling participation for younger students unless a parent opt-in is granted, with exceptions for imminent health threats, abuse concerns, or immediate grief counseling.

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