Bill > H519

This bill revises North Carolina's laws regarding medical treatment for minors, expanding the definition of healthcare providers who can treat minors without parental consent to include physician assistants and nurse practitioners, not just physicians. The bill allows medical providers to treat minors without parental consent in several specific scenarios, such as when parents cannot be located, when immediate treatment is necessary to prevent harm, or when the treatment relates to reportable conditions. For minors aged 16 and older, the bill permits consent for certain medical services like treating specific communicable diseases with short-term prescriptions. The bill also establishes new provisions regarding parental access to medical records, allowing parents to access most of their child's medical records with significant exceptions, including records related to certain reportable conditions, pregnancy, and situations involving potential parental criminal investigations. Additionally, the bill requires written parental consent for vaccines with emergency use authorization for individuals under 18. Healthcare providers are protected from civil or criminal liability when treating minors without parental consent under the specified conditions, though they remain liable for negligence. The bill will become effective on October 1, 2025, and apply to acts occurring on or after that date.

Government Affairs, Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H519