Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached an agreement with Austin Diagnostic Clinic (ADC) that will restore parents’ ability to access their children’s electronic health records, ending a practice that had restricted such access once a child turned 12 years old.
The agreement, announced in a press release Friday, resolves what Paxton’s office characterized as a violation of Texas law that had required parents to navigate a complex consent process to view their children’s medical information.
“My office will continue to stand firm against any policy or practice that undermines a parent’s God-given and legally protected role in caring for their children,” Paxton said in a statement. “Parents are responsible for their children’s upbringing, and having easy access to their medical records and health information to ensure they receive the care they deserve is a critical part of accomplishing that duty.”
Bypassing Parents
According to the Attorney General’s office, the clinic had been restricting parental access to electronic health records for children 12 and older — a practice that Paxton claims directly violates Texas Health & Safety Code § 183.006(b), which explicitly guarantees parents’ rights to access their children’s medical information.
Why would a medical practice implement such restrictions in the first place? Some healthcare providers across the country have adopted similar policies, citing concerns about adolescent privacy for sensitive health matters. But Texas law appears to come down firmly on the side of parents.
The agreement does include exceptions “where restricted by law” — a nod to certain federally protected categories of healthcare information that can remain private even from parents in specific circumstances.
Paxton’s statement took a particularly stern tone in warning other healthcare providers who might have similar policies: “Denying parents access to their children’s data is illegal, and my office will closely monitor compliance and hold anyone who attempts to strip parents of their rights fully accountable.”
Broader Context
This enforcement action comes amid a nationwide debate about the balance between parental rights and adolescent medical privacy. Texas has positioned itself firmly on the parental authority side of that equation.
The Attorney General’s office didn’t specify what prompted the investigation into ADC’s policies, nor did it indicate whether other medical providers in the state might be subject to similar scrutiny.
For now, ADC patients can expect changes to the clinic’s electronic records system. Parents who previously found themselves locked out of their 12-to-17-year-olds’ health information should soon find those barriers removed — a change that will either represent a victory for parental rights or a setback for adolescent privacy, depending on where one stands in this increasingly contentious debate.
