BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SCR 55
                                                                  Page  1


          SENATE THIRD READING
          SCR 55 (Wolk)
          As Introduced August 17, 2009
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :34-5  
           
           SUMMARY  :  Recognizes the week of October 25 through October 31,  
          2009, as Health Care Decisions Week in California, and  
          encourages all Californians to think about and talk with loved  
          ones about their wishes for medical care.  Specifically,  this  
          resolution  makes the following legislative findings:

          1)Health care planning helps people think about the kind of care  
            they want if they become seriously ill or incapacitated; and,  
            a Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form  
            and advance directives give people the ability to document  
            their wishes and identify a person to speak for them should  
            they become unable to speak for themselves.

          2)Introducing these issues in community settings can help people  
            begin conversations about their health care wishes with a  
            family member, close friend, physician, or faith leader.

          3)The California Coalition for Compassionate Care and over 100  
            of the coalition's member organizations have joined together  
            to sponsor a weeklong focus on health care decisions.
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Anna McCabe / RLS. / (916) 319-2800 


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