Health care decisions: life-sustaining treatment.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Passed
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill aims to standardize and clarify the process for documenting an individual’s wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment. It replaces the term ‘Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment’ with ‘POLST’ (Portable Orders Listing Scope of Treatment) and allows for electronic signatures on these forms. The bill also ensures that these requests are voluntary and cannot be used to deny care, while recognizing the validity of POLST forms completed in other states.
Key provisions
- Replaces ‘Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment’ with ‘POLST’ (Portable Orders Listing Scope of Treatment).
- Authorizes electronic signatures for POLST forms.
- Specifies that POLST forms are entirely voluntary and cannot be used to deny care.
- Recognizes the validity of POLST forms completed in other states.
- Clarifies that a request regarding resuscitative measures is not an advance health care directive.
- Requires a date of signature on the POLST form, though a missing date does not invalidate the form.
- Establishes requirements for forms, including signatures from relevant parties.
- Addresses employer policies regarding providing emergency medical services.
Who is affected
- Patients
- Health Care Providers (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants)
- Health Care Agents, Conservators, and Surrogate Decisionmakers
Bill text
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Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
1 on record
Primary sponsor
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