The proposed bill aims to enhance the rights of health care patients, particularly those with life-threatening diseases, by facilitating access to emerging treatment options. It introduces new legal definitions and provisions for "telehealth prescreening" and "remote signing," which enable health care providers to conduct remote consultations and obtain informed consent without requiring the patient's physical presence. The bill expands the definition of a "physician" to include both allopathic and osteopathic practitioners. Additionally, it provides legal protections for health care providers and manufacturers administering investigational treatments, granting them immunity from lawsuits under specific conditions, such as the patient's diagnosis and the absence of satisfactory FDA-approved treatments. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Furthermore, the bill allows terminal patients to petition the superior court for injunctive relief if their access to certain emergency health care treatments is obstructed by regulatory or law enforcement authorities. This provision is designed to empower patients in making critical health care decisions. The bill does not allocate new funding or positions, and the fiscal impact is marked as indeterminable, with potential civil litigation costs acknowledged by the Judicial Branch. Overall, the legislation seeks to remove barriers to accessing potentially life-saving treatments and promote the development of new therapies in New Hampshire.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 126-Z:1, 126-Z:3, 126-Z:4
As Amended by the House: 126-Z:1, 126-Z:4