Bill
HD 1767
Overview: HD 1767, An Act relative to health care proxies, proposed bill, introduced November 29, 2025.Purpose and Intent: This legislation aims to update and clarify the state's l
Overview: HD 1767, An Act relative to health care proxies, proposed bill, introduced November 29, 2025.
Purpose and Intent: This legislation aims to update and clarify the state's laws regarding health care proxies, which allow individuals to designate a trusted person to make medical decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated. The bill seeks to address ambiguities and inconsistencies in the current statute.
Key Provisions:
- Establishes a standardized health care proxy form and process for designating a proxy
- Requires health care providers to make reasonable efforts to locate and honor a patient's designated health care proxy
- Allows health care proxies to make a broader range of decisions, including the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment
- Provides legal protections for health care providers who rely in good faith on a patient's designated proxy
Affected Parties and Impacts:
- Individuals who wish to designate a health care proxy will have a clearer and more consistent process to do so
- Health care providers, including hospitals, physicians, and long-term care facilities, will be required to update their policies and procedures to comply with the new proxy requirements
- Family members and loved ones of incapacitated patients may have greater clarity and confidence in the proxy decision-making process
Procedural and Timeline Considerations:
The bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health for further review and potential amendments. If passed, the new health care proxy requirements would take effect 6 months after the bill's enactment to allow time for implementation by health care providers.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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