NJ A863

Parents and guardians of unemancipated minors under 18 must be granted access to their child's medical records without requiring the minor's authorization, applicable to both healthcare facilities and individual healthcare professionals.

The parental access requirement contains exceptions for minors treated for sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, or sexual assault when disclosure is deemed not in the minor's best interest.

Additional exceptions preserve confidentiality for minors receiving substance use disorder treatment and for minors 16 or older seeking temporary outpatient behavioral health services for mental illness or emotional disorders.

The Commissioner of Health and Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs must promulgate regulations to implement these requirements.

The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment and amends existing New Jersey law (P.L.1968, c.230) while supplementing healthcare facility and professional licensing statutes.