HBA-CCH, MPM H.B. 160 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 160 By: Smith Public Health 2/7/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law allows parents, conservators, or guardians to admit their minor child who is younger than 16 years of age into a drug treatment facility, and allows minor children who are at least 16 years old to check themselves into and release themselves from a drug treatment facility without the consent of a parent, conservator, or guardian. However, current law does not authorize a parent to admit or stop the release of a minor child who is at least 16 years old but younger than 18 years old. House Bill 160 provides for the admission and continued treatment of a child younger than 18 at the request of the parent, conservator, or guardian. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 160 amends the Health and Safety Code to increase from 16 to 18 the age under which a patient is not entitled to refuse medication, therapy, or treatment if the patient is admitted by a treatment facility at the request of a parent, managing conservator, or guardian (parent) who consents to the treatment on the patient's behalf. The bill requires a treatment facility to consult with a parent on receipt of a written request for release by a minor and to continue treatment of the patient as a voluntary patient if the parent objects to the patient's release. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.