In the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, new legislation from a local lawmaker will help keep children safe in the doctor’s office.

State Representative Lana Theis of Brighton’s bill to protect child patients was approved by the Michigan House on Thursday. Under the legislation, procedures involving pelvic penetration of minors will be prohibited unless certain conditions are met. The medical treatment must be within the professional’s scope of practice. A second health care professional must be in the room during the procedure. Finally, written consent on a standardized form must be supplied by a parent or legal guardian. The bill does allow for exceptions such as a medical emergency or for services relating to reproductive or gynecological health.

Theis, who is a member of the House Law and Justice Committee, said that most doctors have the best intentions of treating patients, but that we must also do what we can to make sure a Larry Nassar-type incident never happens again. The bill will now go to the Michigan Senate for consideration. (MK)