1068                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 468

UPON THE ADVICE AND DIRECTION OF A TREATING
PHYSICIAN OR IF MORE THAN ONE, ANY ONE OF THEM,
inform or not inform the spouse, parent, custodian or guardian
of the minor's condition or affliction or need for, or reception of
hospital or clinical care or services or medical or surgical care or
services by the physician, and providing that this information may
be given or withheld without the consent of the minor involved,
and even over the express refusal of the minor to the provision
of such information, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS,
and, finally, providing that the provisions of this Section shall
apply whether the pregnancy or venereal disease is subsequently
substantiated on a medical basis.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 149D be, and it is hereby added to Article 43 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition, 1965 Replacement
Volume), title "Health", subtitle "Practitioners of Medicine", to
follow immediately after Section 149C thereof, to read as follows:

149D.

(a)  The consent to the provision of medical 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 prac-
tice medicine, when executed by a minor who is, or professes to be
married, or by a female minor who is or professes to be pregnant, or
by a minor who is or professes to be afflicted with a venereal disease,
shall be valid and binding as if the said minor had achieved his or her
majority as the case may be; that is, a minor who is, or professes to
be married, or a female minor who is, or professes to be pregnant, or
a minor who is, or professes to be afflicted with a venereal disease,
shall be deemed to have, and shall have the same legal capacity to act,
and the same legal obligations with regard to the giving of such
consent to such hospital or clinical care or services or medical or
surgical care or services to be provided by a physician licensed to
practice medicine, as a person of full legal age and capacity, the
infancy of the said minor and any contrary provisions of law not-
withstanding, and such consent shall not be subject to later disaffirm-
ance by reason of such minority; and 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
or clinical care or services or medical or surgical care or services to
be provided by a physician licensed to practice medicine to such a
minor or minor's child.

(b)  A UPON THE ADVICE AND DIRECTION OF A TREAT-
ING PHYSICIAN OR IF MORE THAN ONE, ANY ONE OF
THEM, MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL STAFF OF A hospital,
public clinic, or physician licensed to practice medicine may, but shall
not be obligated to, inform the spouse, parent, custodian or guardian
of any such minor in the circumstances as enumerated in sub-section
(a) hereof, as to the treatment given or needed, and such informa-
tion may be given to, or withheld from the spouse, parent, custodian
or guardian without the consent of the minor patient and even over
the express refusal of the minor patient to the provision PROVID-
ING of such information,; the provision PROVIDING or withhold-
ing of such information to rest in the sole discretion of the A MEM-
BER OF THE MEDICAL staff of the hospital, public clinic or the