[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 232 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 232

 It is the Sense of the Congress that the confidentiality mandates for 
    minors should be removed from family planning services programs 
operating under title X of the Public Health Services Act and Medicaid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 10, 2007

 Mr. Marchant submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 It is the Sense of the Congress that the confidentiality mandates for 
    minors should be removed from family planning services programs 
operating under title X of the Public Health Services Act and Medicaid.

Whereas title X of the Public Health Service Act, established by Congress, was 
        designed to assist in making comprehensive voluntary family planning 
        services readily available to all persons desiring such service;
Whereas these services, including the availability of contraception, were 
        extended to minors under the age of 16 as a result of the United States 
        Supreme Court decision in Carey v. Population Services International; 
        consequently, title X clinics can provide minors with free 
        contraceptives without a parent's knowledge or consent;
Whereas Medicaid funding for family planning was authorized to cover health care 
        services for low-income women through a cooperative Federal-State 
        program;
Whereas in Texas, any provider receiving title X funds from the State must also 
        provide services to Medicaid-eligible clients and the State cannot 
        require minors to obtain parental consent before receiving family 
        planning services including contraception;
Whereas these requirements effectively force the State to provide contraceptives 
        to children under the age of 16 in order to finance critical family 
        planning services and reduce the likelihood of parental involvement at a 
        time in a child's sexual development when emotional capacity is not 
        likely to correspond to physical maturity; and
Whereas family planning programs operating under title V and title XX of the 
        Social Security Act are not prohibited from requiring parental consent 
        for the dispensation of prescriptions, devaluing the implication that 
        confidentiality is a necessity and sending a mixed message to State 
        administrators of family planning programs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the confidentiality mandates for 
minors should be removed from family planning services programs 
operating under title X of the Public Health Services Act and Medicaid.
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