ATLANTA, March 5 -- The Georgia State Senate issued the following news release on the behalf of State Sen. William Ligon:

Senate Bill 1, which would prohibit health insurers from denying a parent the right to inspect, review, or attain copies of their child's health insurance records, passed the Senate today by a vote of 49 to 3. This bill was sponsored by Sen. William Ligon (R- Brunswick).

"I am pleased by the Senate's favorable consideration of Senate Bill 1 today," said Sen. Ligon. "This bill was inspired by a mother in the 3rd Senate District who recently approached me about her difficulty receiving insurance and medical information about her own child, even though she is the custodial parent. In response, I drafted this legislation to ensure that parents, regardless of who holds the insurance policy, are able to review pertinent medical information about their children."

Under this legislation, if the parent is not the primary insurer or the owner of the policy, then they must provide to the insurer a certified copy of their divorce decree, parenting plan, or any other court document establishing that the parent has access to the child's records.

Health insurance records and information pertaining to the child must not be withheld from the custodial or noncustodial parent unless a court order has specifically removed the right of the noncustodial parent to the child's health records or unless parental rights have been terminated. This legislation also requires that access to a child's health insurance records be included in parenting plans.

Senate Bill 1 will now transfer to the House of Representatives for consideration.

TNS MJ88-130306-4232501 StaffFurigay