Parental Access to Child's Health Info Bill Passes

The House passed a bill on Feb. 27 that would allow parents access to their child’s medical records, with proponents arguing it will help parents help their children and opponents arguing it will endanger kids with unsafe home situations.

Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, spoke in opposition to House Bill 377 due to concerns that it could further endanger a child in a precarious situation. They said as representatives of the state, it’s the Legislature’s job to make sure those kids are protected.

Howell thanked the sponsor for amendments added to address those situations, but said they were not convinced the amendments would adequately address the problem.

“I’m just concerned that the timing is laid out in the bill, and the exemptions are not quite strong enough, and then we’re going to end up in a situation where kids who are trying to seek help are inadvertently putting themselves in more danger,” Howell said.

On the other side, Rep. Sherry Essmann, R-Billings, said she supports the bill because the majority of parents need this bill to protect their children.

“We in this body tend to make a lot of laws based on exception,” Essmann said. “We find one or two people or a small group of people that need something and we want to make a law to help them with total disregard to what the majority of people really need done in their lives.”

HB 377 passed the House 57-41 on Feb. 27.