Georgia House Bill HB965

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/26

Caption

Health; copies of certain patient records to parents or legal guardians of unemancipated minors; provide

Summary

HB965 amends Georgia’s health records law to require providers, upon written request, to furnish a complete and current copy of the health records of an unemancipated minor to that minor’s parent or legal guardian. It also requires providers that use a patient portal to give the parent or legal guardian access to the minor’s records through that portal, and it prohibits providers from requiring the parent or guardian to obtain the minor’s authorization before accessing records for care that was consented to by the parent or guardian. The bill defines “patient portal” as an internet-accessible secure application or similar technology and creates limited exceptions to the access requirement. A provider may refuse disclosure only when federal or state privacy law requires it, when a court order has specifically removed the parent’s or guardian’s right to the information, or when parental rights have been terminated. The bill repeals conflicting laws and would become part of Chapter 33 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which governs health records.

Impact

HB965 would expand and clarify parental access rights to minors’ health records under Georgia law by adding a new subsection to O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2. It would impose an affirmative duty on providers to release records and ensure portal access for parents or legal guardians of unemancipated minors, subject to privacy-law and court-order exceptions. The bill affects healthcare providers, medical record custodians, patient portal systems, and parents or guardians seeking access to a minor’s medical information.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote information is available in the provided materials, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a pro-parental-access policy approach, with a narrow set of exceptions intended to preserve compliance with privacy law and court-ordered restrictions.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the balance between parental access and minor privacy/confidentiality, especially in situations where state or federal law protects certain categories of care or records. Another possible issue is whether requiring portal access without the minor’s authorization could conflict with existing privacy practices or provider workflows. Supporters would likely emphasize parental oversight and transparency, while critics may focus on adolescent confidentiality and sensitive care exceptions.