By: Van de Putte, Deuell  S.B. No. 856
         (In the Senate - Filed February 22, 2011; March 1, 2011,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human
  Services; May 6, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 6, 2011, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to consent to certain medical treatments by a surrogate
  decision-maker on behalf of certain inmates.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 313.004, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  If an adult patient of a home and community support
  services agency or in a hospital or nursing home, or an adult inmate
  of a county or municipal jail, is comatose, incapacitated, or
  otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication, an
  adult surrogate from the following list, in order of priority, who
  has decision-making capacity, is available after a reasonably
  diligent inquiry, and is willing to consent to medical treatment on
  behalf of the patient may consent to medical treatment on behalf of
  the patient:
               (1)  the patient's spouse;
               (2)  an adult child of the patient who has the waiver
  and consent of all other qualified adult children of the patient to
  act as the sole decision-maker;
               (3)  a majority of the patient's reasonably available
  adult children;
               (4)  the patient's parents; or
               (5)  the individual clearly identified to act for the
  patient by the patient before the patient became incapacitated, the
  patient's nearest living relative, or a member of the clergy.
         (e)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if
  the patient is an adult inmate of a county or municipal jail, a
  surrogate decision-maker may not also consent to:
               (1)  psychotropic medication;
               (2)  involuntary inpatient mental health services; or
               (3)  psychiatric services calculated to restore
  competency to stand trial.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 313.005, Health and
  Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  If an adult patient of a home and community support
  services agency or in a hospital or nursing home, or an adult inmate
  of a county or municipal jail, is comatose, incapacitated, or
  otherwise mentally or physically incapable of communication and,
  according to reasonable medical judgment, is in need of medical
  treatment, the attending physician shall describe the:
               (1)  patient's comatose state, incapacity, or other
  mental or physical inability to communicate in the patient's
  medical record; and
               (2)  proposed medical treatment in the patient's
  medical record.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
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