Bill Text: NJ SR57 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates April 16, 2014 as "Health Care Decision Day" in New Jersey.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SR57 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SR57-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JIM WHELAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Designates April 16, 2014 as "Health Care Decision Day" in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution declaring April 16, 2014 as "Health Care Decision Day" in New Jersey.
Whereas, Developments in health care technology make possible many alternatives for treating medical conditions and make possible the unnatural prolongation of life; and
Whereas, An adult should be spared unwanted health care procedures; and
Whereas, A competent adult should have the clear legal choice to accept or reject health care, even if rejecting health care will result in death sooner than death would be expected to occur through the provision of the rejected health care; and
Whereas, Advance care planning is the practice of making explicit written instructions to caregivers, family and friends on measures for delivering health care and for preserving that adult's dignity in the event that the adult is unable, because of incapacity, to make those instructions known when needed at a later time; and
Whereas, Advance care planning provides support for patients and their families making difficult life decisions; and
Whereas, Advance care planning ensures that the patient's informed end-of-life health care choices are known, documented, and respected; and
Whereas, Advance care planning provides competent adults with a legal tool to designate a health care agent and express preferences about health care options to go into effect only after the adult loses the ability to make or communicate health care decisions, including deeply personal decisions about end-of-life care; and
Whereas, Advance care planning includes the use of advance health care directives, health care powers of attorney, and medical orders for life-sustaining treatment that can be administered effectively within the health care system; and
Whereas, New Jersey has helped promote and facilitate advanced care planning in this State with the enactment of the "New Jersey Advance Directives for Health Care Act," P.L.1991, c.201 (C.26:2H-53 et seq.) and the "Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Act," P.L.2011, c.145 (C.26:2H-129 et seq.); now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House hereby designates April 16, 2014 as "Health Care Decision Day."
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor.
3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This resolution designates April 16, 2014 as "Health Care Decision Day" in New Jersey. Advance care planning is the practice of making explicit written instructions to caregivers, family, and friends on measures for delivering health care and for preserving an adult's dignity and expressing the adult's preferences about health care options in the event that the adult is unable, because of incapacity, to make those preferences known when needed at a later time. Advance care planning includes the use of advance health care directives, health care powers of attorney, and medical orders for life-sustaining treatment that can be administered effectively within the health care system.
