The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania House Bill 110 raises minor medical and mental health consent age to 18 and grants parents full record access
Last action · January 14, 2025: Referred to HEALTH, Jan. 14, 2025Sponsors: Stephanie Borowicz and 19 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
An Act amending the act of February 13, 1970 (P.L.19, No.10), entitled "An act enabling certain minors to consent to medical, dental and health services, declaring consent unnecessary under certain circumstances," further providing for individual consent, for mental health treatment and for release of medical records; and providing for parent or legal guardian access to medical records.
Changes legal decision-making rights for adolescents aged 14 to 17 regarding healthcare and mental health treatments, removing their ability to independently seek mental health care or block parental access to their treatment records.
- Pennsylvania's 1970 Medical Consent for Minors Act previously permitted minors aged 14 and older to independently seek and consent to outpatient and voluntary inpatient mental health treatment. context
- The Mental Health Procedures Act of 1976 governs inpatient and involuntary outpatient mental health procedures and patient rights in Pennsylvania. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Minors aged 14 to 17
Minors lose the ability to independently consent to medical and mental health services and control their treatment records.
Parents and legal guardians
Parents gain full access to minors' medical and mental health records and sole decision-making authority over medical and mental health treatment for minors under 18.
Medical and mental health treatment providers
Providers must obtain parental consent for patients under 18 and release medical records to parents upon request.
Key Facts
- Raises the age for a minor to give independent medical, dental, and health services consent from any age if married, pregnant, or graduated, or 18 and older, to strictly 18 years of age or older.
- Increases the minimum age for a minor to independently consent to voluntary inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment from 14 to 18 years of age.
- Prohibits a minor from revoking parental consent for treatment if the minor is under 18 years of age.
- Grants parents or legal guardians full access to all medical, dental, health services, and mental health treatment records of minors under 18 years of age.
Show all 6 facts
- Removes provisions allowing minors aged 14 to 17 to petition a court to object to inpatient mental health treatment independently of their parents.
- Establishes an effective date of 60 days following final enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can a minor independently consent to medical care under this bill?
Can parents access the medical and mental health records of minors under 18?
Can a 15-year-old consent to outpatient mental health treatment without parental approval?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 14, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to HEALTH, Jan. 14, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 15 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Rollback of Minor Autonomy in Healthcare
The legislation systematically replaces previously granted minor self-consent rights (established at age 14 for mental health) with a universal requirement of parental authority until age 18.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools