SCS/SBs 466 & 422 - This act requires health care facilities, nursing homes, and treating physicians to disclose to patients, residents, prospective patients or residents, or parents of minor patients or residents, upon request, any existing policies relating to life-sustaining or nonbeneficial treatment. Additionally, health care facilities, nursing homes, physicians, nurses, or medical staff shall not withhold or restrict life-sustaining procedures, food, medication, or nutrition without the informed consent of at least one parent of a minor patient or resident. Such informed consent shall be documented, but not by a writing, signed or otherwise, by the parent. Do-not-resuscitate orders or similar physician's orders withholding life-sustaining treatment shall not be instituted without the informed consent of at least one parent of the minor patient or resident. This act shall not interfere with the rights of a physician, nurse, other health care provider, or employee of a health care facility to refuse to honor a health care decision withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment if such refusal is based on the individual's religious beliefs or moral convictions.
This act prohibits health care facilities, nursing homes, physicians, nurses, or medical staff from denying a patient or resident life-sustaining treatment that is provided to other patients or residents for the following reasons: (1) on the basis of a view that extending the life of an elderly, disabled, or terminally ill individual is of lower value than extending the life of a younger, abled, or not terminally ill individual; or (2) on the basis of a disagreement with how the patient or resident values the trade-off between extending their life and the risk of disability.
This act also provides that minors with developmental disabilities shall not be deemed ineligible for an organ transplant solely because of that developmental disability, unless a physician, following an individualized evaluation of the potential recipient, deems that developmental disability to be medically significant.
Provisions of this act are similar to HB 113 (2015).
SARAH HASKINS