The proposed bill H.75 seeks to enhance the involvement of various health care professionals in Vermont's end-of-life decision-making laws by allowing naturopathic physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to participate. It specifically grants naturopathic physicians the authority to sign and issue do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and clinician orders for life-sustaining treatment (COLST). The bill amends existing legal language by replacing "physician" with "clinician" in several contexts, thereby broadening the range of professionals who can engage in these critical decisions.

Additionally, the bill outlines the requirements for prescribing medication intended to hasten a patient's death, ensuring that clinicians are protected from civil or criminal liability when acting in accordance with the law. It emphasizes the importance of thorough documentation and patient consent, while clarifying that no clinician is required to participate in providing a lethal dose of medication. The bill also mandates that DNR/COLST orders must be signed by the patient's clinician and include necessary details about the patient and their consent providers. It establishes that healthcare providers must honor these orders unless there is a valid reason to believe they have been revoked, and it allows for the validity of DNR/COLST orders executed prior to July 1, 2011, as long as they comply with previous statutory requirements. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 18-113, 18-9708