BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SR 17|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 17
Author: Jackson (D), Monning (D), and Wolk (D)
Introduced:3/5/15
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: California Health Care Decisions Day
SOURCE: Coalition for Compassionate Care of California
DIGEST: This resolution recognizes April 16, 2015, as Health
Care Decisions Day in California, urges all citizens to
communicate their health care preferences and execute advance
health care planning documents, and urges seriously ill persons
to learn about the Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining
Treatment (POLST) program.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1.The State of California places the highest priority on the
health and well-being of all its citizens; and honoring
patient preferences is a critical element in providing quality
end-of-life care.
2.Every adult has the right to decide his/her own health care
treatment, and, after discussions with loved ones about
preferences, should appoint a person who he/she trusts as
health care agent or surrogate in order to make health care
decisions for him/her in the event of incapacity, by executing
advance health care planning documents.
SR 17
Page 2
3.It is also essential that all adults discuss their health care
wishes with their health care providers, and provide their
health care providers with copies of their advance health care
planning documents so that their health care decisions can be
honored if or when they become incapacitated.
4.It is important that seriously ill persons, or their
designated health care agents or surrogates, work with their
physicians and consider completing POLST forms if they want to
avoid or receive any or all life-sustaining treatments, reside
in a long-term care facility, or require long-term care
services and might die within the next year.
This resolution recognizes April 16, 2015, as Health Care
Decisions Day in California, urges all citizens to communicate
their health care preferences and execute advance health care
planning documents, and urges seriously ill persons to learn
about the POLST program.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified3/16/15)
Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (source)
OPPOSITION: (Verified3/16/15)
None received
SR 17
Page 3
Prepared by:Melissa Ward / SFA / (916) 651-1520
3/18/15 15:33:59
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