The proposed bill seeks to amend the "Estates and Protected Individuals Code" by adding a new part focused on surrogate decision-makers for health care. It defines key terms such as "attending health professional," "health care," and "surrogate," and outlines the conditions under which a surrogate can make health care decisions for a patient who is unable to do so. The bill establishes a hierarchy for surrogate selection, detailing the qualifications and responsibilities of surrogates, including the requirement to act in the patient's best interests and to communicate their decisions to the patient's family and health care providers.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions for the disqualification of surrogates, the acceptance of authority by surrogates, and the documentation required for health care decisions made by surrogates. It emphasizes that surrogates cannot make decisions that would result in the patient's death without specific authorization and prohibits certain individuals from serving as surrogates if they have a conflict of interest. The bill also repeals a section of the Social Welfare Act and stipulates that it will not take effect unless related legislation is enacted.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 700.1101, 700.8206, 400.66