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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an advance directive and do-not-resuscitate order of a |
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pregnant woman and information provided for an advance directive. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 166.033, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 166.033. FORM OF WRITTEN DIRECTIVE. A written |
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directive may be in the following form: |
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DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND FAMILY OR SURROGATES |
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Instructions for completing this document: |
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This is an important legal document known as an Advance |
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Directive. It is designed to help you communicate your wishes about |
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medical treatment at some time in the future when you are unable to |
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make your wishes known because of illness or injury. These wishes |
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are usually based on personal values. In particular, you may want |
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to consider what burdens or hardships of treatment you would be |
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willing to accept for a particular amount of benefit obtained if you |
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were seriously ill. |
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You are encouraged to discuss your values and wishes with |
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your family or chosen spokesperson, as well as your physician. Your |
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physician, other health care provider, or medical institution may |
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provide you with various resources to assist you in completing your |
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advance directive. Brief definitions are listed below and may aid |
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you in your discussions and advance planning. Initial the |
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treatment choices that best reflect your personal preferences. |
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Provide a copy of your directive to your physician, usual hospital, |
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and family or spokesperson. Consider a periodic review of this |
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document. By periodic review, you can best assure that the |
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directive reflects your preferences. |
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In addition to this advance directive, Texas law provides for |
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three [two] other types of directives that can be important during a |
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serious illness. These are the Medical Power of Attorney, [and] the |
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Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Order, and the Health Care |
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Facility Do-Not-Resuscitate Order. You may wish to discuss these |
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with your physician, family, hospital representative, or other |
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advisers. You may also wish to complete a directive related to the |
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donation of organs and tissues. |
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DIRECTIVE |
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I, __________, recognize that the best health care is based |
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upon a partnership of trust and communication with my physician. My |
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physician and I will make health care or treatment decisions |
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together as long as I am of sound mind and able to make my wishes |
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known. If there comes a time that I am unable to make medical |
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decisions about myself because of illness or injury, I direct that |
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the following treatment preferences be honored: |
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If, in the judgment of my physician, I am suffering with a |
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terminal condition from which I am expected to die within six |
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months, even with available life-sustaining treatment provided in |
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accordance with prevailing standards of medical care: |
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__________ |
I request that all treatments other than those needed to keep me comfortable be discontinued
or withheld and my physician allow me to die as gently as possible; OR |
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__________ |
I request that I be kept alive in this terminal condition using available life-sustaining
treatment. (THIS SELECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO HOSPICE CARE.) |
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If, in the judgment of my physician, I am suffering with an |
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irreversible condition so that I cannot care for myself or make |
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decisions for myself and am expected to die without life-sustaining |
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treatment provided in accordance with prevailing standards of care: |
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__________ |
I request that all treatments other than those needed to keep me comfortable be discontinued
or withheld and my physician allow me to die as gently as possible; OR |
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__________ |
I request that I be kept alive in this irreversible condition using available life-sustaining
treatment. (THIS SELECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO HOSPICE CARE.) |
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Pregnancy directive: |
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If I am pregnant, my decision concerning life-sustaining |
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treatment is modified as follows: |
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________________________________________________________________ |
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________________________________________________________________ |
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________________________________________________________________ |
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(THIS SECTION IS OPTIONAL, IS COMPLETED ONLY FOR A PERSON OF |
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CHILD-BEARING AGE, AND DOES NOT AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF THIS FORM IF |
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LEFT BLANK.) |
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Additional requests: (After discussion with your physician, |
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you may wish to consider listing particular treatments in this |
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space that you do or do not want in specific circumstances, such as |
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artificially administered nutrition and hydration, intravenous |
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antibiotics, etc. Be sure to state whether you do or do not want the |
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particular treatment.) |
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After signing this directive, if my representative or I elect |
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hospice care, I understand and agree that only those treatments |
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needed to keep me comfortable would be provided and I would not be |
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given available life-sustaining treatments. |
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If I do not have a Medical Power of Attorney, and I am unable |
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to make my wishes known, I designate the following person(s) to make |
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health care or treatment decisions with my physician compatible |
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with my personal values: |
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1. __________ |
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2. __________ |
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(If a Medical Power of Attorney has been executed, then an |
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agent already has been named and you should not list additional |
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names in this document.) |
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If the above persons are not available, or if I have not |
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designated a spokesperson, I understand that a spokesperson will be |
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chosen for me following standards specified in the laws of Texas. |
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If, in the judgment of my physician, my death is imminent within |
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minutes to hours, even with the use of all available medical |
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treatment provided within the prevailing standard of care, I |
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acknowledge that all treatments may be withheld or removed except |
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those needed to maintain my comfort. [I understand that under Texas |
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law this directive has no effect if I have been diagnosed as |
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pregnant.] This directive will remain in effect until I revoke it. |
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No other person may do so. |
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Signed__________ Date__________ City, County, State of |
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Residence __________ |
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Two competent adult witnesses must sign below, acknowledging |
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the signature of the declarant. The witness designated as Witness 1 |
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may not be a person designated to make a health care or treatment |
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decision for the patient and may not be related to the patient by |
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blood or marriage. This witness may not be entitled to any part of |
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the estate and may not have a claim against the estate of the |
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patient. This witness may not be the attending physician or an |
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employee of the attending physician. If this witness is an employee |
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of a health care facility in which the patient is being cared for, |
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this witness may not be involved in providing direct patient care to |
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the patient. This witness may not be an officer, director, partner, |
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or business office employee of a health care facility in which the |
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patient is being cared for or of any parent organization of the |
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health care facility. |
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Witness 1 __________ Witness 2 __________ |
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Definitions: |
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"Artificially administered nutrition and hydration" means |
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the provision of nutrients or fluids by a tube inserted in a vein, |
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under the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, or in the |
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gastrointestinal tract. |
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"Irreversible condition" means a condition, injury, or |
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illness: |
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(1) that may be treated, but is never cured or |
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eliminated; |
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(2) that leaves a person unable to care for or make |
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decisions for the person's own self; and |
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(3) that, without life-sustaining treatment provided |
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in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care, is |
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fatal. |
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Explanation: Many serious illnesses such as cancer, failure |
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of major organs (kidney, heart, liver, or lung), and serious brain |
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disease such as Alzheimer's dementia may be considered irreversible |
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early on. There is no cure, but the patient may be kept alive for |
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prolonged periods of time if the patient receives life-sustaining |
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treatments. Late in the course of the same illness, the disease may |
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be considered terminal when, even with treatment, the patient is |
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expected to die. You may wish to consider which burdens of |
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treatment you would be willing to accept in an effort to achieve a |
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particular outcome. This is a very personal decision that you may |
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wish to discuss with your physician, family, or other important |
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persons in your life. |
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"Life-sustaining treatment" means treatment that, based on |
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reasonable medical judgment, sustains the life of a patient and |
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without which the patient will die. The term includes both |
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life-sustaining medications and artificial life support such as |
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mechanical breathing machines, kidney dialysis treatment, and |
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artificially administered nutrition and hydration. The term does |
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not include the administration of pain management medication, the |
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performance of a medical procedure necessary to provide comfort |
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care, or any other medical care provided to alleviate a patient's |
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pain. |
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"Terminal condition" means an incurable condition caused by |
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injury, disease, or illness that according to reasonable medical |
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judgment will produce death within six months, even with available |
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life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the |
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prevailing standard of medical care. |
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Explanation: Many serious illnesses may be considered |
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irreversible early in the course of the illness, but they may not be |
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considered terminal until the disease is fairly advanced. In |
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thinking about terminal illness and its treatment, you again may |
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wish to consider the relative benefits and burdens of treatment and |
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discuss your wishes with your physician, family, or other important |
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persons in your life. |
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SECTION 2. Section 166.049, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 166.049. PREGNANT PERSONS [PATIENTS]. A person of |
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child-bearing age that executes an advance directive may specify in |
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the advance directive the effect the person's pregnancy has on the |
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advance directive [A person may not withdraw or withhold |
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life-sustaining treatment under this subchapter from a pregnant |
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patient]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 166.083(b), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The standard form of an out-of-hospital DNR order |
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specified by department rule must, at a minimum, contain the |
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following: |
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(1) a distinctive single-page format that readily |
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identifies the document as an out-of-hospital DNR order; |
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(2) a title that readily identifies the document as an |
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out-of-hospital DNR order; |
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(3) the printed or typed name of the person; |
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(4) a statement that the physician signing the |
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document is the attending physician of the person and that the |
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physician is directing health care professionals acting in |
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out-of-hospital settings, including a hospital emergency |
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department, not to initiate or continue certain life-sustaining |
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treatment on behalf of the person, and a listing of those procedures |
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not to be initiated or continued; |
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(5) a statement that the person understands that the |
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person may revoke the out-of-hospital DNR order at any time by |
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destroying the order and removing the DNR identification device, if |
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any, or by communicating to health care professionals at the scene |
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the person's desire to revoke the out-of-hospital DNR order; |
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(6) a statement that if the person is of child-bearing |
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age, the person may specify in the form the effect the person's |
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pregnancy has on the out-of-hospital DNR order; |
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(7) places for the printed names and signatures of the |
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witnesses or the notary public's acknowledgment and for the printed |
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name and signature of the attending physician of the person and the |
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medical license number of the attending physician; |
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(8) [(7)] a separate section for execution of the |
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document by the legal guardian of the person, the person's proxy, an |
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agent of the person having a medical power of attorney, or the |
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attending physician attesting to the issuance of an out-of-hospital |
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DNR order by nonwritten means of communication or acting in |
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accordance with a previously executed or previously issued |
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directive to physicians under Section 166.082(c) that includes the |
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following: |
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(A) a statement that the legal guardian, the |
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proxy, the agent, the person by nonwritten means of communication, |
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or the physician directs that each listed life-sustaining treatment |
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should not be initiated or continued in behalf of the person; and |
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(B) places for the printed names and signatures |
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of the witnesses and, as applicable, the legal guardian, proxy, |
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agent, or physician; |
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(9) [(8)] a separate section for execution of the |
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document by at least one qualified relative of the person when the |
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person does not have a legal guardian, proxy, or agent having a |
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medical power of attorney and is incompetent or otherwise mentally |
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or physically incapable of communication, including: |
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(A) a statement that the relative of the person |
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is qualified to make a treatment decision to withhold |
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cardiopulmonary resuscitation and certain other designated |
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life-sustaining treatment under Section 166.088 and, based on the |
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known desires of the person or a determination of the best interest |
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of the person, directs that each listed life-sustaining treatment |
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should not be initiated or continued in behalf of the person; and |
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(B) places for the printed names and signatures |
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of the witnesses and qualified relative of the person; |
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(10) [(9)] a place for entry of the date of execution |
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of the document; |
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(11) [(10)] a statement that the document is in effect |
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on the date of its execution and remains in effect until the death |
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of the person or until the document is revoked; |
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(12) [(11)] a statement that the document must |
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accompany the person during transport; |
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(13) [(12)] a statement regarding the proper |
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disposition of the document or copies of the document, as the |
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executive commissioner determines appropriate; and |
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(14) [(13)] a statement at the bottom of the document, |
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with places for the signature of each person executing the |
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document, that the document has been properly completed. |
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SECTION 4. Section 166.084(c), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The attending physician and witnesses shall sign the |
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out-of-hospital DNR order in the place of the document provided by |
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Section 166.083(b)(8) [166.083(b)(7)] and the attending physician |
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shall sign the document in the place required by Section |
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166.083(b)(14) [166.083(b)(13)]. The physician shall make the fact |
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of the existence of the out-of-hospital DNR order a part of the |
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declarant's medical record and the names of the witnesses shall be |
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entered in the medical record. |
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SECTION 5. Section 166.098, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 166.098. PREGNANT PERSONS. A person of child-bearing |
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age may specify in an out-of-hospital DNR order executed by the |
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person the effect the person's pregnancy has on the order [A person |
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may not withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation or certain other |
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life-sustaining treatment designated by department rule under this |
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subchapter from a person known by the responding health care |
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professionals to be pregnant]. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |