If your child sees a doctor at Austin Diagnostic Clinic, you just got your parental rights back.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a first-of-its-kind agreement ending the clinic’s policy of locking parents out of their children’s electronic health records. Starting immediately, parents regain full, real-time access to their kids’ medical information.
For parents who discovered they couldn’t see what was happening with their child’s healthcare, this changes everything.
What Was Actually Happening
Austin Diagnostic Clinic’s electronic medical record system automatically locked parents out when their child turned twelve years old. Just like that—overnight—you lost access to your kid’s medical information.
Want to know what medications your child was prescribed? Too bad. Need to check test results? Good luck. Trying to coordinate care between specialists? You’re out.
Parents had to navigate a lengthy, confusing consent process that required both parent and child to provide repeated approvals before any information could be shared. The system effectively denied parents the immediate access Texas law guarantees.
“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,” said Attorney General Paxton. “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.”
What Texas Law Actually Says
Texas Health and Safety Code Section 183.006(b) guarantees parents immediate access to their children’s medical records. Not delayed access. Not conditional access. Immediate access.
Austin Diagnostic Clinic’s policy violated that law. The Attorney General’s office opened an investigation after receiving reports about the locked-out parents. The investigation confirmed what families already knew—the clinic’s system stripped away rights Texas law explicitly protects.
What Changes Now
Under the new agreement, parents receive full, real-time access to their children’s electronic medical information. The only exceptions are portions specifically restricted by state or federal law—and those restrictions are clearly defined, not subject to a medical provider’s internal policies.
You don’t need to request permission. You don’t need your child’s approval for every single piece of information. You don’t need to navigate bureaucratic approval processes. You get the access Texas law says you’re entitled to.
The agreement upholds the fundamental right of parents to direct their children’s healthcare. That means knowing what’s happening, when it’s happening, and having the information you need to make informed decisions.
Why This Matters for Your Family
Healthcare decisions require information. When your child needs medication, you should know what it is, why it was prescribed, and what side effects to watch for. When test results come back, you should see them immediately, not days later after jumping through approval hoops.
Coordinating care between multiple providers becomes impossible when you can’t access basic medical information. Your child’s pediatrician needs to know what the specialist prescribed. You need to track symptoms across appointments. Medical records provide the thread that connects everything.
The twelve-year-old cutoff created an artificial barrier at exactly the age when kids start facing more complex health issues. Adolescence brings new challenges—mental health concerns, chronic conditions, medication management. Parents need more information during these years, not less.
What Happens If Providers Don’t Comply
The Attorney General’s office made its position clear: “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.”
This isn’t a suggestion. It’s the law. Medical providers who implement policies that lock parents out face investigations and enforcement actions.
The Austin Diagnostic Clinic agreement sets a precedent. Other medical providers using similar systems now know exactly where Texas stands on parental access to children’s health records.
What Parents Should Do
If you’re an Austin Diagnostic Clinic patient, your access should already be restored. Log into your family’s patient portal and verify you can see your children’s records. If you encounter any barriers, contact the clinic immediately and reference the Attorney General’s agreement.
If you use a different medical provider and discover you’ve been locked out of your child’s records, that’s a violation of Texas law. Document what happened—take screenshots, save emails, note dates and times. Then file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Parents are responsible for their children’s healthcare. That responsibility requires information. Texas law protects your right to that information. Don’t let administrative policies override state law.
The Bigger Picture
This agreement represents more than one clinic changing one policy. It establishes a clear standard: Texas law means what it says about parental rights, and medical providers can’t implement systems that contradict state law—even if those systems came from national vendors or follow practices used in other states.
Healthcare organizations often adopt policies and systems designed for multiple states with varying laws. Sometimes those systems don’t comply with Texas requirements. When that happens, Texas families lose rights they’re legally entitled to.
The Austin Diagnostic Clinic agreement sends a message to every medical provider in Texas: review your electronic health record systems, verify they comply with Texas law, and fix any policies that restrict parental access beyond what state or federal law requires.
What This Means Going Forward
The Attorney General’s office remains committed to enforcing state law and ensuring parents can make fully informed decisions about their children’s health and wellbeing.
Other medical providers should expect similar scrutiny if their systems lock parents out. The investigation into Austin Diagnostic Clinic started with parent complaints. Other complaints about other providers will likely lead to similar investigations.
Parents now have a clear precedent. Texas law protects your access to your children’s medical records. The Attorney General’s office will enforce that law. Medical providers can’t hide behind administrative policies or electronic system limitations.
Your right to direct your child’s healthcare includes the right to know what’s happening with their health. That’s the law. Now it’s enforced.
Key Details
What changed: Austin Diagnostic Clinic must restore full parental access to children’s electronic health records
When it applies: Immediately
Who it affects: All ADC patients and their families
What parents get: Real-time access to children’s medical information, except portions specifically restricted by state or federal law
Legal basis: Texas Health and Safety Code Section 183.006(b)
Historic first: First agreement of its kind in Texas protecting parental access to children’s health records
