§ 36-2272 — Consent of parent required for mental health screening or treatment of minors; exception; violation; classification; definition

A. Except as otherwise provided by law or a court order, no person, corporation, association, organization or state-supported institution, or any individual employed by any of these entities, may procure, solicit to perform, arrange for the performance of or perform mental health screening in a nonclinical setting or mental health treatment on a minor without first obtaining the written or oral consent of a parent or a legal custodian of the minor child. If the parental consent is given through telehealth, the health professional must verify the parent's identity at the site where the consent is given.

B. This section does not apply when an emergency exists that requires a person to perform mental health screening or provide mental health treatment to prevent serious injury to or save the life of a minor child.

C. A person who violates this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.

D. For the purposes of this section, "parent" means the parent or legal guardian of a minor child.