2013 New Jersey Revised Statutes
Title 9 - CHILDREN--JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURTS
Section 9:17A-4 - Consent by minor to treatment.


NJ Rev Stat § 9:17A-4 (2013) What's This?

9:17A-4 Consent by minor to treatment.

1.The consent to the provision of medical or surgical care or services by a hospital, public clinic, or the performance of medical or surgical care or services by a physician, licensed to practice medicine, when executed by a minor who is or believes that he may be afflicted with a venereal disease, or who is at least 13 years of age and is or believes that he may be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus or have acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or by a minor who, in the judgment of a treating physician, appears to have been sexually assaulted, shall be valid and binding as if the minor had achieved his or her majority, as the case may be. Any such consent shall not be subject to later disaffirmance by reason of minority. In the case of a minor who appears to have been sexually assaulted, the minor's parents or guardian shall be notified immediately, unless the attending physician believes that it is in the best interests of the patient not to do so; however, inability of the treating physician, hospital or clinic to locate or notify the parents or guardian shall not preclude the provision of any necessary emergency medical or surgical care to the minor.

When a minor believes that he is suffering from the use of drugs or is a drug dependent person as defined in section 2 of P.L.1970, c.226 (C.24:21-2) or is suffering from alcohol dependency or is an alcoholic as defined in section 2 of P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-8), his consent to treatment under the supervision of a physician licensed to practice medicine, or an individual licensed or certified to provide treatment for alcoholism or in a facility licensed by the State to provide for the treatment of alcoholism shall be valid and binding as if the minor had achieved his or her majority, as the case may be. Any such consent shall not be subject to later disaffirmance by reason of minority. Treatment for drug use, drug abuse, alcohol use or alcohol abuse that is consented to by a minor shall be considered confidential information between the physician, the treatment provider or the treatment facility, as appropriate, and his patient, and neither the minor nor his physician, treatment provider or treatment facility, as appropriate, shall be required to report such treatment when it is the result of voluntary consent, except as may otherwise be required by law.

The consent of no other person or persons, including but not limited to a spouse, parent, custodian or guardian, shall be necessary in order to authorize such hospital, facility or clinical care or services or medical or surgical care or services to be provided by a physician licensed to practice medicine or by an individual licensed or certified to provide treatment for alcoholism to such a minor.

L.1968,c.230,s.1; amended 1975, c.89, s.2; 1982, c.186; 1992, c.57, s.1; 2005, c.342.


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