Bill > A03245

This bill modifies New York's public health law regarding healthcare decision-making, specifically expanding the authority of healthcare agents to make decisions about artificial nutrition and hydration. The bill amends the definition of "health care" to explicitly include hydration and nutrition as part of medical treatment. It removes a previous restriction that limited an agent's ability to make decisions about artificial nutrition and hydration when the principal's wishes were unknown. Now, healthcare agents will have broader discretion to make decisions about life-sustaining treatments, including hydration and nutrition, based on either the principal's known wishes or their best interests. The bill encourages individuals to provide guidance about their preferences for life-sustaining treatment in their healthcare proxy documents, allowing agents to make more informed decisions. The changes will apply to healthcare proxies created both before and after the bill's effective date, which will be 90 days after it becomes law. This modification aims to provide more flexibility and clarity for individuals and their designated healthcare decision-makers in critical medical situations.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3245