DANGEROUS LEGISLATION THAT WILL HURT KIDS

We need your immediate help to halt a dangerous bill in the New Jersey Assembly that is scheduled for a vote this afternoon.

New Jersey Assembly bill 3435 (A3435), titled the “Boys & Girls Clubs Keystone Law,” provides that “when a minor believes that he or she is in need of behavioral health care services for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disorders, the minor’s consent to treatment…shall be valid and binding as if the minor had achieved the age of majority.”

That means your minor child, of whatever age, would be legally empowered to seek and obtain behavioral health services without your knowledge or consent. Under this bill, a minor does not even need to be a teenager to give legally binding consent to such treatment.

We are urging you to contact your New Jersey Assemblyman right now and urge them to vote “No” on A3435.

The United States Supreme Court in its 1979 Parham v J.R. decision concluded, “Most children, even in adolescence, simply are not able to make sound judgments concerning many decisions, including their need for medical care or treatment. Parents can and must make those judgments.” A3435 flies in the face of that decision.

The House is scheduled to convene at 1:00 this afternoon, and could start voting on bills very soon thereafter. A3435 is up for “2nd reading in the Assembly to concur with Senate amendments.” This is very nearly the last step (which would be 3rd reading) before going to the governor for signature.

So please take a moment right now to call your assemblyman and urge them to respect parents and provide for the needs of children by opposing this dangerous bill.

Children are not served by removing from them the support and guidance of loving parents when such paramount health care decisions need to be made! There is no clearer example of “protecting children by empowering parents,” which is the heart of ParentalRights.org, than by preserving the parental role at such crucial times.

Please stand with us to oppose this disturbing legislation.

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research

Since the date of this post, I personally wrote to Governor Christie to alert him of this quick moving bill and the consequences if this bill if it became law as is. I received a letter back from Governor Christie explaining his concerns over this proposed bill as well.  He then vetoed the bill and sent it back to the legislature with recommended revisions. 

With the revisions in place, the bill became law.  Below is the revisions that were made.

A minor must be 16 or older to consent to treatment without parental consent or revocation. Second, the minor’s consent may only be given for temporary outpatient treatment. Third, that treatment may not include the use or administration of medication.