HF 814 (LSB 2262YH (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 814

BY  A. MEYER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to a pregnant minor’s legal capacity to consent to the provision of certain medical care.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  135.196  Pregnancy care for minors.
   1.  If a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a minor is not reasonably available, the minor shall have the legal capacity to give consent to the provision of prenatal care, intrapartum care, or postnatal care to the minor by a physician, a physician’s designee, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, or an emergency medical care provider.
   2.  Subsection 1 shall not be construed to relieve a physician, a physician’s designee, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, or an emergency medical care provider of the duty to obtain informed consent from the minor patient for the provision of such care.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the legal capacity of a pregnant minor to consent to certain medical care. If a parent, guardian, or legal custodian is not reasonably available, a minor shall have the legal capacity to give consent to the provision of prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care by certain health care providers. The bill does not relieve the health care provider of the duty to obtain informed consent from the minor.