Raleigh, N.C. – In a 68-41 vote on Tuesday, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 519, also known as the Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights, which seeks to reestablish the authority of parents in making medical decisions for their children in cases involving sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, and mental health issues. The legislation now moves to the North Carolina Senate for consideration.
Current North Carolina law permits minors to independently consent to treatment for STDs, drug and alcohol use, and emotional or mental health conditions, effectively bypassing parental involvement. Advocates for HB 519 argue that this exclusion leaves children to navigate serious medical situations alone and deprives parents of the right to guide their children through critical, potentially life-altering decisions.
HB 519 would repeal the existing statute that allows minors to seek certain medical treatments without parental consent, restoring what supporters call the rightful role of parents in their children’s healthcare.
“Parents need to be involved when children face serious medical conditions,” said Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the NC Values Coalition. “It is dangerous and irresponsible to allow children to make medical decisions in secret, especially when those decisions involve mental health, drug use, or sexual activity.”
The bill also aims to ensure that parents have full access to their child’s medical records, which are currently shielded under certain circumstances, further enabling informed and responsible parenting.
Supporters of the bill point to a recent North Carolina Supreme Court decision in Happel v. Guilford County Board of Education, in which the court affirmed that parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and care of their children are protected under the Constitution. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Paul Newby emphasized the fundamental right of parents to make decisions on behalf of their children, including in the realm of healthcare.
Sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Balkcom, Donnie Loftis, Brian Biggs, and Larry Potts, HB 519 is part of a broader movement by conservative lawmakers to expand parental rights in schools, healthcare, and other areas affecting minors.
Opponents of the bill have raised concerns about the implications for minors in unsafe or unsupportive family environments, where seeking parental consent could be harmful or impossible. Debate on the bill is expected to intensify as it heads to the Senate.
