BILL NUMBER: SR 17	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senators Jackson, Monning, and Wolk

                        MARCH 5, 2015

   Relative to California Health Care Decisions Day.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, The State of California places the highest priority on
the health and well-being of all its citizens; and
   WHEREAS, Honoring patient preferences is a critical element in
providing quality end-of-life care; and
   WHEREAS, Every adult has the right to decide his or her own health
care treatment, and, after discussions with loved ones about
preferences, should appoint a person who he or she trusts as health
care agent or surrogate in order to make health care decisions for
him or her in the event of incapacity, by executing advance health
care planning documents; and
   WHEREAS, 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; and
   WHEREAS, It is important that seriously ill persons, or their
designated health care agents or surrogates, work with their
physicians and consider completing Physicians Orders for
Life-Sustaining Treatment (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; and
   WHEREAS, The National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) initiative
is a collaborative effort of national, state, and community
organizations created to inspire, educate, and empower the public and
providers about the importance of advance care planning; and
   WHEREAS, The NHDD coalition has promoted National Healthcare
Decisions Day and is committed to ensuring that all adults with
decisionmaking capacity have the information and opportunity to
communicate and document their health care decisions by aiming to
increase conversations that lead to the completion of advance health
care planning documents, increase awareness of the POLST program in
the community, and support statewide implementation of the POLST
program, Health Care Decisions Law (Chapter 658 of the Statutes of
1999), Terminal Patients' Right to Know Act (Chapter 683 of the
Statutes if 2008), and appropriate legislative changes; and
   WHEREAS, The NHDD has designated April 16 as National Healthcare
Decisions Day, and hundreds of events will be taking place all over
the country to commemorate this day; and
   WHEREAS, This observance offers a special and important
opportunity to encourage Californians to communicate their health
care preferences and execute advance health care planning documents,
and for seriously ill persons to learn about the POLST program; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
of the State of California 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; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Senate of the State of California urges public
support for Health Care Decisions Day events planned in California on
April 16, 2015; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.