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House Amendment 5098

Amendment Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Amend Senate File 2066, as amended, passed, and
  1  2 reprinted by the Senate, as follows:
  1  3    #1.  By striking everything after the enacting
  1  4 clause and inserting the following:
  1  5    "Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  144D.1  SHORT TITLE.
  1  6    This chapter may be cited as the "Assistance-in-
  1  7 Dying Act".
  1  8    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  144D.2  DEFINITIONS.
  1  9    As used in this chapter, unless the context
  1 10 otherwise requires:
  1 11    1.  "Adult" means an individual eighteen years of
  1 12 age or older.
  1 13    2.  "Assistance-in-dying" means assistance in the
  1 14 form of medical services provided in person by a
  1 15 physician that will end the life of a qualified
  1 16 patient in a dignified, painless, and humane manner,
  1 17 when requested, voluntarily, by the patient through a
  1 18 written declaration in accordance with this chapter,
  1 19 at the time the medical service is to be provided.
  1 20    3.  "Attending physician" means the physician
  1 21 selected by, or assigned to, the patient who has
  1 22 primary responsibility for the treatment and care of
  1 23 the patient.
  1 24    4.  "Declaration" means a document executed in
  1 25 accordance with the requirements of section 144D.3.
  1 26    5.  "Health care provider" means a health care
  1 27 facility licensed pursuant to chapter 135C, a hospice
  1 28 program licensed pursuant to chapter 135J, or a
  1 29 hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 135B.
  1 30    6.  "Life-sustaining procedure" means any medical
  1 31 procedure, treatment, or intervention which meets both
  1 32 of the following requirements:
  1 33    a.  Utilizes mechanical or artificial means to
  1 34 sustain, restore, or supplant a spontaneous vital
  1 35 function.
  1 36    b.  When applied to a patient in a terminal
  1 37 condition, would serve only to prolong the dying
  1 38 process.
  1 39    "Life-sustaining procedure" includes but is not
  1 40 limited to cardiac resuscitation, respiratory support,
  1 41 and artificially administered nutrition and hydration,
  1 42 but does not include the administration of medication
  1 43 to relieve pain or the performance of any medical
  1 44 procedure deemed necessary to alleviate pain.
  1 45    7.  "Physician" means a person licensed to practice
  1 46 medicine and surgery, osteopathy, or osteopathic
  1 47 medicine and surgery in this state.
  1 48    8.  "Qualified patient" means a patient who has
  1 49 executed a declaration in accordance with this chapter
  1 50 and who has been diagnosed to be in a terminal
  2  1 condition, by two physicians, one of whom is the
  2  2 attending physician, and both of whom have personally
  2  3 examined the patient and have certified in writing the
  2  4 diagnosis of the patient's terminal condition.
  2  5    9.  "Terminal condition" means an incurable or
  2  6 irreversible condition that, without the
  2  7 administration of life-sustaining procedures, will, in
  2  8 the opinion of two physicians having examined the
  2  9 patient and exercising reasonable medical judgment,
  2 10 result in the death of the patient within six months.
  2 11    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  144D.3  DECLARATION RELATING
  2 12 TO THE PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE-IN-DYING.
  2 13    1.  A competent adult may execute a declaration to
  2 14 request assistance-in-dying at any time.  The
  2 15 declaration shall be given operative effect only if
  2 16 the declarant's condition is determined to be
  2 17 terminal.  Prior to effectuating a declaration, the
  2 18 diagnosis of a terminal condition by two physicians
  2 19 shall be verified in writing, attached to the
  2 20 declaration, and made a permanent part of the
  2 21 patient's medical records.
  2 22    2.  The declaration shall be signed by the
  2 23 declarant in the presence of two witnesses, neither of
  2 24 whom is any of the following:
  2 25    a.  A person who would be entitled to any portion
  2 26 of the estate of the declarant, upon the declarant's
  2 27 death, under any will of the declarant, then existing,
  2 28 or at the time of the declaration by operation of
  2 29 existing law.
  2 30    b.  The attending physician, an employee of the
  2 31 attending physician, or a health care provider in
  2 32 which the declarant is a patient.
  2 33    3.  It is the responsibility of the declarant to
  2 34 provide the declarant's attending physician with the
  2 35 declaration.
  2 36    4.  The declaration, or a copy of the declaration,
  2 37 shall be made a part of the patient's medical record
  2 38 by the attending physician.
  2 39    5.  A declaration executed pursuant to this chapter
  2 40 shall be essentially in the following form, but may
  2 41 also include other directions as specified by the
  2 42 declarant:  
  2 43                       DECLARATION
  2 44    I, ________, being of sound mind, willfully, and
  2 45 voluntarily make known my desire that:
  2 46    1.  If at any time I should have an incurable or
  2 47 irreversible condition, certified by two physicians,
  2 48 in writing, to be a terminal condition, I direct that
  2 49 upon my request, my attending physician provide
  2 50 assistance-in-dying so that I might die in a
  3  1 dignified, painless, and humane manner.
  3  2    2.  It is my intention that this declaration shall
  3  3 be honored by my family and physician as the final
  3  4 expression of my legal right to be provided
  3  5 assistance-in-dying, and I accept the consequences of
  3  6 this declaration.
  3  7    3.  If I am pregnant with a fetus that could
  3  8 develop to the point of live birth, this declaration
  3  9 shall have no force or effect during the course of my
  3 10 pregnancy.
  3 11    4.  I understand that I may amend or revoke this
  3 12 declaration at any time.  
  3 13      Signed this ______ day of _________,________
  3 14      Signature __________________________________
  3 15      City, County, and State of residence _______
  3 16      ____________________________________________
  3 17    This declarant is personally known to me and
  3 18 voluntarily signed this document in my presence.
  3 19      Witness ____________________________________
  3 20      Address ____________________________________
  3 21      Witness ____________________________________
  3 22      Address ____________________________________
  3 23    Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  144D.4  REVOCATION.
  3 24    1.  A declaration may be revoked at any time and in
  3 25 any manner by which the declarant is able to
  3 26 communicate the declarant's intent to revoke, without
  3 27 regard to the declarant's mental or physical state.
  3 28    2.  The attending physician shall make the
  3 29 revocation a part of the declarant's medical record.
  3 30    3.  A person is not subject to civil or criminal
  3 31 liability for failure to act upon a revocation made
  3 32 pursuant to this section unless the person has actual
  3 33 or constructive notice of the revocation.
  3 34    Sec. 5.  NEW SECTION.  144D.5  IMMUNITIES.
  3 35    1.  In the absence of actual or constructive notice
  3 36 of the revocation of a declaration, the following,
  3 37 while acting in accordance with the requirements of
  3 38 this chapter, are not subject to civil or criminal
  3 39 liability or guilty of unprofessional conduct:
  3 40    a.  A physician who provides assistance-in-dying to
  3 41 a qualified patient.
  3 42    b.  The health care provider in which the
  3 43 assistance-in-dying is provided.
  3 44    c.  A person who participates in providing
  3 45 assistance-in-dying to a qualified patient under the
  3 46 direction of or with the authorization of the
  3 47 physician providing the assistance.
  3 48    2.  A physician is not subject to civil or criminal
  3 49 liability for actions under this chapter which are in
  3 50 accord with reasonable medical standards.
  4  1    3.  A person or health care provider against whom
  4  2 criminal or civil liability is asserted because of
  4  3 conduct in compliance with this chapter may interpose
  4  4 compliance with this chapter as an absolute defense.
  4  5    Sec. 6.  NEW SECTION.  144D.6  PENALTIES.
  4  6    1.  A person who willfully conceals, withholds,
  4  7 cancels, destroys, alters, defaces, or obliterates the
  4  8 declaration of another without the declarant's consent
  4  9 is guilty of a serious misdemeanor.
  4 10    2.  A person who falsifies or forges the
  4 11 declaration of another, or who willfully conceals or
  4 12 withholds personal knowledge of a revocation with the
  4 13 intent to cause the provision of assistance-in-dying
  4 14 contrary to the wishes of the declarant, resulting in
  4 15 the provision of assistance-in-dying and the hastening
  4 16 of the death of another, commits murder as if the
  4 17 person had personally killed the declarant.
  4 18    Sec. 7.  NEW SECTION.  144D.7  GENERAL PROVISIONS.
  4 19    1. Prior to providing assistance-in-dying to a
  4 20 qualified patient pursuant to a declaration, the
  4 21 attending physician shall make a reasonable effort to
  4 22 determine that the declaration complies with this
  4 23 chapter and that the measures proposed by the
  4 24 declaration are in accord with the current desires of
  4 25 the qualified patient.  The declaration shall only be
  4 26 effectuated to end the life of a qualified patient.
  4 27    2.  Death resulting from the provision of
  4 28 assistance-in-dying pursuant to a declaration and in
  4 29 accordance with this chapter, does not, for any
  4 30 purpose, constitute a suicide or homicide.
  4 31    3.  The making of a declaration pursuant to section
  4 32 144D.3 does not affect in any manner the sale,
  4 33 procurement, or issuance of any policy of life
  4 34 insurance, and shall not be deemed to modify the terms
  4 35 of an existing policy of life insurance.  A policy of
  4 36 life insurance is not legally impaired or invalidated
  4 37 in any manner by the provision of assistance-in-dying
  4 38 pursuant to this chapter, notwithstanding any term of
  4 39 the policy to the contrary.
  4 40    4.  A physician, health care provider, accident and
  4 41 sickness insurer, health maintenance organization,
  4 42 insurer issuing disability insurance, self-insured
  4 43 employee welfare benefit plan, or nonprofit health
  4 44 service corporation shall not require any person to
  4 45 execute a declaration as a condition for being insured
  4 46 for, or receiving, health care services.
  4 47    5.  This chapter does not create a presumption
  4 48 concerning the intention of an individual who has not
  4 49 executed a declaration with respect to the provision
  4 50 of assistance-in-dying procedures in the event of a
  5  1 terminal condition.
  5  2    6.  This chapter shall not be construed to condone,
  5  3 authorize, or approve mercy killing or euthanasia, or
  5  4 to permit any affirmative or deliberate act or
  5  5 omission to end life other than to permit the natural
  5  6 process of dying and to permit death with dignity
  5  7 through the provision of assistance-in-dying only by a
  5  8 physician when voluntarily requested in writing, as
  5  9 provided in this chapter, by a conscious and competent
  5 10 qualified patient at the time assistance-in-dying is
  5 11 to be provided."
  5 12    #2.  Title page, line 1, by striking the words
  5 13 "assisted suicide" and inserting the following:
  5 14 "assistance-in-dying".  
  5 15 
  5 16 
  5 17                              
  5 18 SHOULTZ of Black Hawk
  5 19 SF 2066.305 76
  5 20 pf/cf
     

Text: H05097                            Text: H05099
Text: H05000 - H05099                   Text: H Index
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