SB 274 is the Senate companion to HB 172. Both bills would repeal Ohio Revised Code section 5122.04, a 1989-era statute that has allowed minors age 14 and older to access up to six outpatient mental-health counseling sessions without parental consent.
Under SB 274, any mental-health service provided to a minor would require prior written parental consent — closing a confidential-care pathway that Ohio youth have relied on for more than three decades.
ORC 5122.04's minor-consent provision functions as a crisis-access bridge for LGBTQ+ youth who face rejection, abuse, or danger at home if their identity becomes known. The Trevor Project's 2024 national survey found that 39% of LGBTQ+ young people in Ohio seriously considered suicide in the past year, and the rate among those whose parents are unsupportive is substantially higher.
Repealing 5122.04 forces LGBTQ+ minors to choose between seeking care that requires outing themselves to parents who may not affirm them, or forgoing counseling entirely during acute periods of risk.