Bill > A00916

This bill makes several amendments to the New York Public Health Law regarding healthcare decision-making and patient rights. First, it expands the list of persons who can initiate special legal proceedings related to healthcare decisions to include guardians of the principal, in addition to existing parties like healthcare providers, family members, and close friends. Second, the bill modifies notification requirements for hospitals when dealing with emancipated minor patients, mandating that if a hospital can reasonably determine the identity and contact information of a minor's parents or guardian, they must notify those persons and document this notification in the patient's medical record before withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. Additionally, the bill makes technical changes to regulations about nonhospital do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, such as clarifying language about wearing identification bracelets and expanding the commissioner's ability to authorize alternative forms for issuing DNR orders, particularly for individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness. The bill also repeals a specific subdivision of an existing law and is designed to take effect simultaneously with another related healthcare legal amendment.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A916