NC House extends time for gender-transition lawsuits, boosts parental authority

The North Carolina House has approved two bills reshaping medical care for minors, focusing on gender transition treatments and parental rights in healthcare decisions.

House Bill 606 passed in a 69-41 vote, It allows individuals who received gender-related medical treatments, such as hormone therapy or surgery, as minors to sue their health-care providers until age 28, a decade after reaching adulthood.

Supporters argue the law would give young people time to grasp the lifelong impacts of such decisions. Data shows that up to 13.1% of those who transition may detransition, often around age 23, five years post-transition.

The Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights passed in a 68-41 vote, requiring parental consent for minors seeking certain medical treatments. It addresses concerns about minors independently accessing treatments like birth control or mental health prescriptions, aiming to balance children’s healthcare access with parental involvement.

“House Bill 519 is about restoring balance and transparency in the doctor-patient relationship involving minors,” explained state Rep. Jennifer Balkom, R-Henderson, during the House Rules Committee meeting. “It maintains that physicians and licensed practitioners can consult with minors about their health, but when it comes to prescribing or performing treatment, parental consent must be obtained, unless it’s an emergency or mandated reporting situation.”

She said the law ensures parents are informed about their child’s health care, especially when it involves long-term implications.

SEE ALSO: Gender-transition patients urge lawmakers to extend medical-malpractice window

State Rep. Allison Dahle, D-Wake, raised concerns about deterring children from seeking care, particularly for sensitive issues, stating, “Children don’t often want to tell their parents when there is something in their genitalia area that’s wrong.”

Balkom said there is an exception for individuals over 16 years old who are seeking STD treatment, as well as a provision to protect children from neglectful parents. She noted that current law allows a 12-year-old to receive birth control, an IUD implanted inside of them, and even mental-health prescriptions.

“That’s the concern here,”Balkom said. “So parents need to know to make sure they’re taking it. Not every child will remember to take it… We do still have those provisions in the bill to protect against bad parents, like we do have that exception there for the safety of the child.”

The post NC House extends time for gender-transition lawsuits, boosts parental authority first appeared on Carolina Journal.