AB 381 — Designates April 16 as “Healthcare Decisions Day” in Nevada. (BDR 19-660)

A.B.Assembly Bill No.

381381–Assemblymen ATitus, SSEMBLYBenitez-Thompson; B ILLN O.

381–AHansen SSEMBLYMENand TITUSLeavitt ,Joint BSponsors: ENITEZ-T HOMPSON ;

HANSENSenators ANDRatti LEAVITTand MHardy ARCHCHAPTER.......... 21, 2019 ____________ JOINT SPONSORS :

SENATORS R ATTI AND H ARDY ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Designates April 16 as “Healthcare Decisions Day” in Nevada.

(BDR 19-660) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

No.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

Existing law sets forth certain days of observance in this State to commemorate certain persons or occasions or to publicize information regarding certain important topics.“Healthcare Decisions Day” in the State of Nevada.

(NRS 236.018-236.085) This bill designates April 16 of each year as “HealthcareEXPLANATION Decisions– Day”Matter in thebolded Stateitalics ofis Nevada.new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

and W HEREAS , Nevada law authorizes various kinds of advance directives for health care, including a durable power of attorney for health care decisions, a declaration governing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, a provider order for life- sustaining treatment (POLST), an advance directive for psychiatric care and a do-not-resuscitate order, and the Secretary of State - *AB381* – 2 – maintains an electronic registry of such advance directives on a public website;

and W HEREAS , The most significant reasons for the failure of more Nevadans to execute advance directives include the lack of awareness of the availability of such directives and considerable confusion about advance health care planning and advanceadvancesiderable directives;

and - 80th Session (2019) – 2 – W HEREAS , Historically there has been a collaborative effort of numerous national, state and community organizations that are committed to ensuring that all adults with decision-making capacity in the United States have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their health care decisions and to encourage designation of Healthcare Decisions Day;

and W HEREAS , One of the principal goals of designating a Healthcare Decisions Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospice facilities to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives and increase the number of Nevadans who have an advance directive;

and W HEREAS , The Legislature wishes to encourage all Nevadans to have conversations about their wishes concerning their health care and to execute advance directives to make those wishes known, and to ensure that fewer Nevada families and health care providers will have to struggle with making difficult health care decisions in the absence of knowledge of the wishes of the patient;

now, therefore, - *AB381* – 3 – THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

4 Section 1.

April 16 of each year is designated as “Healthcare Dec2.ionThe Governor shall issue annually a proclamation encouraging the observance of “Healthcare Decisions Day.”Day” Thein proclamation must, without limitation, call upon the news media, state and local officers, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, hospice facilities, private nonprofit groups and foundations, and other public and private entities to bring to the attention of the adults in this State the importance of discussingNevada. the manner in which they would like to have their health care wishes carried out and of using an advance directive to express those wishes.

Sec.

The Governor shall issue annually a proclamation encouraging the observance of “Healthcare Decisions Day.” The proclamation must, without limitation, call upon the news media, state and local officers, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, hospice facilities, private nonprofit groups and foundations, and other public and private entities to bring to the attention of the adults in this State the importance of discussing the manner in which they would like to have their health care wishes carried out and of using an advance directive to express those wishes.

- 80th Session (2019) – 3 – Sec.

2.

H~~~~~ 19 - *AB381*80th Session (2019)