A Brief Note to New York Parents

I just learned about A06761, a bill that was introduced in May, but I’m on the other side of the country and had trouble seeing the thing because of the Rockies. We should have those lowered.

The legislative summary of A06761 is a lie: “Allows homeless youth to give effective consent to certain medical, dental, health, and hospital services; provides for insurance coverage of such health care services consented to by such youth.”

But look what the actual text of the bill says:

  8.  Any  person,  including a minor, who comprehends the need for, the
    21  nature of, and the reasonably foreseeable risks and benefits involved in
    22  any contemplated medical, dental, health, and/or hospital services,  and
    23  any  alternatives  thereto,  may give effective consent to such services
    24  for themself, and the consent of no other person shall be necessary. The
    25  commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary
    26  to effectuate the provisions of this subdivision.

Any minor who comprehends the need for any contemplated medical or hospital services may consent to those services, and the consent of no other person shall be necessary. The bill summary is about homeless minors; the bill is about minors, all of them.

Now: What kind of medical services might a minor wish to consent to that a parent may refuse to go along with?

This bill is designed to remove the roadblock of parents from the lives of children. It appears to be stalled in committee, but if you’re a parent in New York, let your legislators know what you think of it.