# @wmnf885 on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DU_zmQQDyLw
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70139883-wmnf885-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/9894322b26.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-20T22:45:42.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** WMNF Community Radio (@wmnf885) — https://gondola.cc/wmnf885

## Caption

The controversial House Bill 173 advanced yesterday.

Republican State Representative Kim Kendall is sponsoring the bill for the second year in a row. It would limit minors’ ability to access certain health care services without parental consent.

The bill would also give parents full access to their child’s medical records unless the parent is under investigation or a law enforcement agent request for the records to not be released.

“I was told this was a partisan bill, and I refused to accept that.” Rep. Kendall said during the committee meeting. “Everybody in this legislature cares about our kids. We just have different ways to do it.”

How does HB 173 work?

HB 173 would strike part of the state’s family planning statues, sexually transmitted statues and mental health statues. It would restrict STI treatment for minors to examinations-only, limit mental health services to “immediate, onsite behavioral health crisis services” from mobile response teams and remove access to “maternal health and contraceptive information and services of a nonsurgical nature.”

It is unclear if HB 173 would ban minors from accessing the 988 Suicide & Crisis hotline or Florida 211. These hotlines provide resources for those struggling with suicide tendencies and people in need of housing, food and utility payment assistance.

In addition, the bill further restricts the events in which a minor’s blood history or DNA can be stored, documented or shared without a parent’s written consent. The only exceptions are in the case of a court order and when the record is related to Florida’s DNA database or sexual offense evidence kits.

Currently, these statues allow physicians to provide care if the doctor determines the kid will “suffer probable health hazards if the services are withheld.” They also allow for minors to receive treatment for any STI without parental consent, as well as crisis intervention services like different forms of therapy and counseling.

What are your thoughts on this bill? 👇
#WMNF #FLPolitics #ParentalConsent #HealthPolicy #LocalNews

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## Tags

wmnf, parentalconsent, healthpolicy, localnews, flpolitics

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