HB 120 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

Minors; prohibit health care providers and institutions from providing health care to without parental consent.

HB 120 requires Mississippi healthcare providers to give parents or guardians a written notice at each minor's visit, explaining their right to block others from consenting to treatment and allowing them to designate specific adults who may consent. It prohibits healthcare providers from treating unemancipated minors (under 18) without parental consent or consent from a parent-designated adult, unless exceptions apply (like emergencies, mental health care for minors 16+, or CPS cases). The bill repeals existing exceptions allowing doctors to treat minors for STDs or substance abuse issues without parental consent. It also creates legal recourse for parents to sue providers who violate these consent requirements.

Issues: ✗ Healthcare

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 10, 2025 Last action Feb 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced → Current version · 6 edits

MODERATE

HB 120 was amended from its original version to add a new requirement for healthcare providers to give parents a written form when a minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian. This form allows parents to designate specific adults who can consent to medical treatment for their child, and to prevent others from consenting. The bill also changed the time limit for contacting parents from 7 or 21 days to 72 hours before other family members can consent, and added new exceptions for situations like suspected parental abuse or neglect.

Scope change

The bill now applies specifically when a minor patient is accompanied by a parent or guardian, requiring providers to present a written consent document in those situations.

REQUIREMENT

Healthcare providers must present a written document to parents or guardians when a minor is accompanied by them, offering the option to designate specific adults who can consent to treatment.

The time limit for contacting parents before other family members can consent was changed from 7 or 21 days to 72 hours.

EXCEPTIONS

New exception added for situations where the healthcare provider has reasonable cause to suspect parental abuse or neglect of the minor.

New exception added for medical assistance rendered by an athletic trainer during a school or youth recreation league sporting event.

ELIGIBILITY

The list of people who can consent on behalf of a minor was modified to prioritize the minor's parent over the custodian, and to include an option for parents to designate additional adults.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'parent' was clarified to mean any parent with joint or separate legal custody of a minor.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

lower

Jan 10, 2025

Committee

Referred To Public Health and Human Services

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors