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.








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          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








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                                                                     Page  3






          Prepared by:Melissa Ward / SFA / (916) 651-1520
          3/18/15 15:33:59


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