Bill Text: NY S05939 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to life-sustaining treatment standards.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S05939 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05939-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5939

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in  relation  to  the  artificial
          nutrition and hydration decision standard

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 2980 of the public health law,  as
     2  added by chapter 752 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
     3    4. "Health care" means any treatment, service or procedure to diagnose
     4  or treat an individual's physical or mental condition.  Providing nutri-
     5  tion  or hydration orally, without reliance on medical treatment, is not
     6  health care under this article and is not subject to this article.
     7    § 2. The fourth undesignated paragraph of paragraph (d) of subdivision
     8  5 of section 2981 of the public health law, as added by chapter  752  of
     9  the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
    10    NOTE:  Although not necessary, and neither encouraged nor discouraged,
    11  you may wish to state instructions or wishes,  and  limit  your  agent's
    12  authority.  [Unless your agent knows your wishes about artificial nutri-
    13  tion and hydration, your agent will not have authority to  decide  about
    14  artificial  nutrition  and  hydration.]  For example, you may state your
    15  wishes regarding withholding or  withdrawing  life-sustaining  treatment
    16  (including  hydration  and nutrition provided by means of medical treat-
    17  ment)  to  guide  your  agent's  decisions.  If  you  choose  to   state
    18  instructions, wishes, or limits, please do so below:
    19    ______________________________________________________________________
    20    ______________________________________________________________________
    21    ______________________________________________________________________
    22    §  3.  Subdivision  2  of  section  2982  of the public health law, as
    23  amended by chapter 230 of the laws  of  2004,  is  amended  to  read  as
    24  follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02549-01-9
        S. 5939                             2

     1    2. Decision-making standard. After consultation with a licensed physi-
     2  cian,  registered  nurse,  licensed psychologist, licensed master social
     3  worker, or a licensed clinical  social  worker,  the  agent  shall  make
     4  health  care  decisions:  (a) in accordance with the principal's wishes,
     5  including  the  principal's  religious  and moral beliefs; or (b) if the
     6  principal's wishes are not reasonably known and cannot  with  reasonable
     7  diligence be ascertained, in accordance with the principal's best inter-
     8  ests[;  provided,  however, that if the principal's wishes regarding the
     9  administration of artificial nutrition and hydration are not  reasonably
    10  known  and  cannot  with  reasonable diligence be ascertained, the agent
    11  shall not have the authority to make  decisions  regarding  these  meas-
    12  ures].
    13    §  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    14  have become a law, provided that the amendments  to  sections  2981  and
    15  2982 of the public health law made by sections two and three of this act
    16  shall  apply  to  decisions made pursuant to health care proxies created
    17  prior to the effective date of this act as well as those created  there-
    18  after.