Jonathan's Law

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Jonathan's Law, a New York legislative measure co-sponsored by Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), would expand access to all child abuse investigation files and medical history records to parents and legal guardians.

Mike and Lisa Carey, the parents of Jonathan Carey, have been promoting Jonathan's law.

Contents

[edit] Background

The State of New York's Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities prevented the family of Jonathan Carey from accessing records relating to their son, who had been diagnosed with severe autism. Jonathan attended the private Anderson School in Dutchess County in 2004. The Anderson School specializes in the education of children on the autistic spectrum. Due to the severity of Jonathan's condition, he was unable to speak or tell his parents what happened to him.

[edit] Privacy concerns

OMRDD officials cautioned the New York legislature about passing Jonathan’s Law without sufficient consideration, citing privacy concerns, adding that rushing their decision to could be detrimental, asserting that whistleblowers will be less likely to come forward if their accusations become public.

[edit] Perspective of advocates

According to advocates supporting Jonathan's Law, everyone deserves safety and quality medical care. The protection of those who are unable to protect themselves --thus inherently dependent upon the protection of others-- must be allowed reasonable access to transparent records, thereby enabling families to know everything necessary to ensure quality of care for their loved ones.

[edit] External links

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