A child may consent to certain medical treatment in specified situations, and some providers may advise parents or rely on the child’s written statement.
Sec. 32.003. CONSENT TO TREATMENT BY CHILD. (a) A child may consent to medical, dental, psychological, and surgical treatment for the child by a licensed physician or dentist if the child: (1) is on active duty with the armed services of the United States of America; (2) is: (A) 16 years of age or older and resides separate and apart from the child's parents, managing conservator, or guardian, with or without the consent of the parents, managing conservator, or guardian and regardless of the duration of the residence; and (B) managing the child's own financial affairs, regardless of the source of the income; (3) consents to the diagnosis and treatment of an infectious, contagious, or communicable disease that is required by law or a rule to be reported by the licensed physician or dentist to a local health officer or the Texas Department of Health, including all diseases within the scope of Section 81.041, Health and Safety Code; (4) is unmarried and pregnant and consents to hospital, medical, or surgical treatment, other than abortion, related to the pregnancy; (5) consents to examination and treatment for drug or chemical addiction, drug or chemical dependency, or any other condition directly related to drug or chemical use; (6) is unmarried, is the parent of a child, and has actual custody of his or her child and consents to medical, dental, psychological, or surgical treatment for the child; or (7) is serving a term of confinement in a facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, unless the treatment would constitute a prohibited practice under Section 164.052(a)(19), Occupations Code. (b) Consent by a child to medical, dental, psychological, and surgical treatment under this section is not subject to disaffirmance because of minority. (c) Consent of the parents, managing conservator, or guardian of a child is not necessary in order to authorize hospital, medical, surgical, or dental care under this section. (d) A licensed physician, dentist, or psychologist may, with or without the consent of a child who is a patient, advise the parents, managing conservator, or guardian of the child of the treatment given to or needed by the child. (e) A physician, dentist, psychologist, hospital, or medical facility is not liable for the examination and treatment of a child under this section except for the provider's or the facility's own acts of negligence. (f) A physician, dentist, psychologist, hospital, or medical facility may rely on the written statement of the child containing the grounds on which the child has capacity to consent to the child's medical treatment. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 751, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 2.01, eff. June 14, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1227 (H.B. 2389), Sec. 2, eff. June 15, 2007.