Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, voted Tuesday to give final passage to legislation allowing minors to give consent to receive reproductive health care treatments without parental notifications including pain management during labor.
H.B. 7213 passed the Senate on a 31-5 vote, sending the proposal to Gov. Ned Lamont following a similar vote in the House earlier this month.
“It’s unthinkable to imagine forcing a young person to give birth without adequate pain management treatment simply because they did not first secure parental notification,” Senator Honig said. “This legislation will ensure that no one is subjected to such draconian barriers to care, all while broadening access to contraceptive counseling and prenatal services that are critical to the health and well-being of young patients.”
House Bill 7213, “An Act Concerning Access To Reproductive Health Care,” allows minors to give consent to receive reproductive healthcare treatments and services, including contraceptive counseling and services, prenatal care and pain management during labor, without requiring parental consent.
The bill also seeks to protect minors seeking care by preventing physicians and health care providers from sharing information about such services, including sending a bill, to parents or guardians without the express consent of that minor.
The bill doesn’t affect abortion services for minors and is instead focused on preventative care.
Its provisions also do not change the obligation to make a report to the Department of Public Health or Department of Children and Families or other reports or disclosures required under state law. Parents and guardians not informed of such services are not liable to pay for them.
Existing law already allows minors to access treatments for sexually transmitted disease, alcohol and drug use recovery, HIV testing or treatment, abortions and abortion counseling and outpatient mental health treatment.
Increasing access to resources supporting this care can cut down on teen pregnancies and STIs, as well as preserve the health of minors who give birth.
The bill received support in public testimony from organizations including the Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers, which supported its ability to promote informed choices among minors; Fair Haven Community Health Care, which noted the bill provides clarity for healthcare providers; the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, which noted the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists support access to services provided in the bill; and the ALCU of Connecticut, which said the bill would prevent delays in provision of health care.
The bill previously passed the House on May 1 by a 117-27 tally and passed the Public Health Committee by a 19-11 vote on March 27.
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