An Act amending Title 20 (Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in health care, repealing provisions relating to pregnancy and further providing for execution, for requirements and options and for example; and making an editorial change.
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Create an account to take a stance, submit a written position, or contact your legislator.
Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill repeals a section of Pennsylvania law (20 Pa.C.S. § 5429) that previously dictated how life-sustaining treatment, nutrition, and hydration should be provided to pregnant women who were incapacitated and had an end-stage medical condition or were permanently unconscious. The bill also adds provisions to the Durable Health Care Power of Attorney and Health Care Treatment Instructions forms to explicitly address pregnancy, allowing a pregnant person to include specific instructions regarding life-sustaining treatment. It also makes an editorial change to the statute.
Key provisions
- Repeals the provision in 20 Pa.C.S. § 5429 regarding life-sustaining treatment for pregnant women in specific medical conditions.
- Adds a subsection to Section 5442 of Title 20, allowing a living will to contain provisions relating to the initiation, continuation, withholding, or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment if the individual is pregnant.
- Adds a paragraph to Section 5453(b) of Title 20, allowing a health care power of attorney to include provisions regarding treatment decisions for a pregnant principal.
- Amends Sections 5456(b) and 5471 of Title 20 to clarify the role of a health care agent in making decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment for pregnant patients.
- Requires the Department of Health to ensure that health care providers are notified of the repeal of the relevant section of the law.
Who is affected
Bill text
Read the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
Document of record
- Version
- Pn 1477 Html
- Published
- Not published in the source record
This version is published only as a document. Open the viewer to read it here, or download the file.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
5 on record
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Judith Schwank
Arguments
Reasons offered for and against this legislation.
Arguments in favor
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yours