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Senate advances updated Advance Healthcare Directive form to third reading
Summary
Senate Bill 75 (second substitute) consolidates living will, medical treatment plan and special power of attorney into a single updated Advance Healthcare Directive intended to reflect modern medical practice and provide default decision-makers and liability protection; the Senate moved the substitute to third reading unanimously on the floor.
Senate Bill 75 in its second substitute form was advanced to third reading after the sponsor, Senator Christiansen, described a multi-stakeholder consensus effort to modernize Utah's Advance Healthcare Directive. The bill combines three existing forms—the living will, medical treatment plan and special power of attorney—into one new document that allows individualized choices, establishes default decision makers where none are appointed, and provides civil and criminal liability protections for providers who comply with patient wishes.
Christiansen said the bill grew from the governor's commission on aging and reflects input from attorneys, medical professionals and advocacy groups; he said the update will increase the chance that end-of-life wishes are followed and could save state resources by allowing people to decline unwanted care. The sponsor moved the substitute to third reading and floor roll-call reported 27 yes, 0 nay, 2 absent; the bill will be read for third time on the calendar.
Questions on the floor included whether the change was intended as a new uniform act; the sponsor agreed to offline discussions on uniformity and procedural details and waived further debate on the floor.
