Unregulated pregnancy clinics; unauthorized practice of medicine; unprofessional conduct of medical providers; civil penalty. Requires unregulated pregnancy clinics, as defined by the bill, to have a qualified medical provider who supervises and takes responsibility for the provision of all medical care at such facility. The bill provides that any such clinic is required to provide to a client, upon request, the name and contact information for the qualified medical provider who supervises medical care to such client. A clinic shall notify the Board of Health, in accordance with rules promulgated by the Board, of the name and contact information for its qualified medical providers. Any person who violates the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty of up to $3,000 for a first violation and up to $10,000 for a second or subsequent violation. The bill provides that individuals licensed by the Board of Medicine or the Board of Nursing are subject to disciplinary action for making or knowing of certain willful representations of the care provided at such unregulated pregnancy clinics if such representations are not true.
Youth Health Protection Act established; civil penalty. Creates the Youth Health Protection Act, which makes it unlawful for any individual to provide gender transition procedures, defined in the bill, for minors and prohibits the use of public funds for gender transition procedures. The bill allows parents, guardians, or custodians to withhold consent for any treatment, activity, or mental health care services that are designed or intended to form their child's conceptions of sex and gender or to treat gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity. The bill prohibits government agents, other than law-enforcement personnel, from encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold information from the minor's parent. The bill establishes a duty for a government agent with knowledge that a minor has exhibited symptoms of gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity or otherwise demonstrates a desire to be treated in a manner incongruent with the minor's sex to immediately notify each of the minor's parents, guardians, or custodians in writing, with descriptions of relevant circumstances. The bill prohibits discrimination against persons (i) providing information regarding violations of the Act to their employer or specified public entities or (ii) who make disclosures under the Act of information that evinces any violation of law, rule, or regulation; any violation of any standard of care or other ethical guidelines for the provision of health care service; or gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. The bill establishes a civil action for any violation of the Act by a clinic, health care system, medical professional, or other responsible person with a two-year statute of limitations. The bill prohibits political subdivisions of the Commonwealth from enacting, adopting, maintaining, or enforcing any measure that interferes with the professional conduct and judgment of a mental health care professional or counselor undertaken within the course of treatment and communication with clients, patients, other persons, or the public. The bill provides for enforcement by the Attorney General or a mental health care professional or counselor through an action for injunctive relief and allows a mental health care professional to recover reasonable attorney fees and reasonable costs incurred in obtaining an injunction. The bill waives sovereign immunity to suit and immunity from liability under this statute.
