Bill > HB1254

This bill updates and expands Pennsylvania's laws regarding medical orders for life-sustaining treatment, specifically introducing a new framework for Pennsylvania Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST). The bill establishes comprehensive guidelines for creating, executing, and implementing POLST forms, which are medical orders designed to document a seriously ill patient's current treatment preferences across different healthcare settings. Key provisions include establishing a POLST Advisory Committee, defining strict requirements for POLST validity, ensuring voluntary patient consent, protecting patient rights, and providing immunity for healthcare providers who follow POLST orders in good faith. The bill emphasizes that POLST is intended for patients with serious life-limiting medical conditions who might not be expected to live more than a year, and is not recommended for patients with stable, chronic conditions. The legislation also specifies that POLST forms must be outcome-neutral, ranging from full treatment to comfort care only, and must be completed through a shared decision-making process that respects the patient's goals, preferences, and values. Additionally, the bill repeals previous advisory committee provisions and provides guidelines for how POLST interacts with existing advance healthcare directives.

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https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1254