Parents and caretakers of vulnerable adults could be given more ways to avoid criminal charges for medical neglect under a new bill introduced Tuesday.
House Bill 757 would only require them to seek medical attention for life-threatening health conditions.
Additionally, parents and caretakers could not be held at-fault if they seek “alternative medical treatment” from someone other than a licensed health care provider.
The bill doesn’t require the person recommending alternative medical treatments to be licensed or certified in any way.
“This bill just seeks to reaffirm the rights of parents to seek the health care as they determine is best for their child or for their family or for the vulnerable adult that is in their care,” said Rep. Lucas Cayler (R-Caldwell).
Other new carveouts include excluding recommendations of care that offer “limited benefit to the child,” if a parent or caretaker gets conflicting medical advice or if the potential treatment’s side effects would be worse than the expected benefit.
“The purpose of this bill … is to address the issues and occurrences of the removal of children from their parents based upon false reporting of medical neglect,” Cayler said.
Last week, he tried to introduce a similar measure that would have allowed parents or caretakers to sue someone if they made a false report of medical neglect, but he removed that provision from this bill.
Rep. Dori Healey (R-Boise) said she’s opposed to the bill, but voted to introduce it for further conversation.
“I have significant concerns regarding the unintended consequences that I have shared with you. I feel like child protection should still be the utmost concern for all of this,” Healey said.
The House Health and Welfare Committee could hold a public hearing on the measure later this week.
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