Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently introduced two bills aiming to bolster parental rights in healthcare. The first, the PARENT Act, would require hospitals receiving federal funding to provide public notice of their policies on end-of-life care for minors — including in regards to DNR orders. And the second, the Parental Right to Know Act, would require hospitals receiving federal funding to provide public notice of their policies on parental access to minors’ medical records.
In response, Terry Schilling, executive director of American Principles Project, released the following statement supporting the legislation:
“Parental rights in America are now under greater threat than at any time in recent history. And nowhere is this threat more perilous than in healthcare. Just consider the case of Sheryl Crosier, whose son was allowed to die after a doctor placed a DNR order on his file without Crosier’s knowledge or consent. Tragic cases like this are just the tip of the iceberg.
“Fortunately, some states have begun to act to protect parental rights, but the threat has become too significant and widespread for these efforts alone. Our leaders in Congress need to act, and Sen. Mike Lee is leading the way on this important issue. His PARENT Act and Parental Right to Know Act represent a good first step toward a more robust defense of parental rights in federal law. We commend Sen. Lee for his leadership, and we encourage his congressional colleagues to urgently press forward on this issue and look for more ways to codify something that has always been understood up until recently — that parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children.”
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