Harris County Medical Society

Source: TMLT FAQ's - Minors & Texas Statutes - Family Code§101.003

Who is considered a minor?

A minor is a person under 18 years of age who has never been married and never been declared as an adult by a court.Generally, minors do not have the legal capacity to consent to medical treatment.

The Texas Family Code §151.001 (a) gives all parents the duty of providing medical and dental care to their children, which gives them explicit right to consent to that treatment (including medical, dental, psychiatric, psychological, and surgical treatment)

When can minors consent to their own medical treatment?

Under certain types of medical treatments, The Texas Family Code lists instances where a minor child can consent on their own:

a minor on active duty with the armed forces of the United States
a minor who is 16 years or older, residing apart from his/her parents or guardian, and managing his/her own financial affairs
a minor who is unmarried and pregnant can consent to treatment related to the pregnancy other than abortion
a minor can consent to diagnosis and treatment of infectious, contagious, or communicable diseases that are reportable to the Texas Department of State Health Services
a minor can consent to counseling for suicide prevention, chemical or alcohol addiction or dependency, or sexual, physicial, or emotional abuse

Parental Consent in Cases of Divorce

If in doubt, always ask to see a copy of the court order

According to Texas Statutes - Family Code §153.073 (a), unless limited by a court order, a parent appointed as a "conservator" (managing or possessory) of a child has at all times the following rights:

Right of access to medical, dental, psychological, and education records of the child
Right to consult with a physician, dentist, or psychologist of the child
Right to be designate on the child's records as a person to be notified in case of an emergency
Right to consent to medical, dental, and surgical treatment during an emergency involving an immediate danger to the health and safety of the child.

Specific rights for a divorced parent who has custody of child
Texas Family Code §153.132 states a "sole managing conservator" (custodial parent) have all the rights listed above in §153.073, AND the right to consent to medical treatment involving invasive procedure, and the right to consent to psychological or psychiatric treatment of a child, unless limited by a court order.

Specific rights for a divorced parent who does not have custody of a child
Texas Statutes - Family Code §153.074 states that a "possessory conservator" (non-custodial parent) has the rights listed above in §153.073, AND the duty to provide only medical and dental care not involving invasive procedures, unless limited by a court order.

Joint Custody
Divorced parents who have joint custody over a child may both serve as "joint managing conservators" and have all the rights associated with a "managing conservator" unless specifically limited by the court granting the divorce.

Non-parent consent to treatment of a child

If parents are not available to consent to their child's medical treatment and/or immunizations, the Texas Statutes - Family Code §32.001 lists other persons who may consent for medical treatment of a child:

grandparents
adult siblings
aunts and uncles
an educational institution with written authorization
any adult who has actual care, control, and possession of the minor with written authorization
a court having jurisdiction over a suit affecting the parent-child relationship
an adult responsible for the actual care, control, and possession of a child under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court or committed by a juvenile court to the care of an agency of the state or county
a peace officer who has lawfully taken custody and has reasonable grounds to believe immediate medical treatment is needed
for immunizations only, a guardian or any perosn authorized under law or court order to consent for the child or if these persons are not available, any one of the persons listed above.

Consent form for a non-parent to give consent for treatment must:

Be done in writing by parent,

Include the name of the child,

Include the name of one or both parents - if known, and the name of any managing conservator of the child,

Include the name of the person giving consent and their relationship to the child,

Include a statement of the nature of the medical treatment to be given, and

The date the treatment is to begin

What is the physicians legal obligation when treating minors for contraception and pregnancy?

Minors cannot give consent to medical treatment. Contraception is not specifically addressed by law as an exception, and is therefore not a treatment for which a minor can give consent unless he or she is an "emanipated minor." An emancipated minor is who is not 18 years, unmarried and has not had the diabilities of minority according to Texas Family Code Ch. 31

Emergency Care for treating minors

Under §773.008 of the Health and Safety Code states that a consent for "an individual is not required if. . . the individual is a minor who is suffering from what reasonable appears to be life-threatening injury or illness and whose parents, managing or possessory conservator, or guardian, is not present."

Consent for Treatment of Minors