Friend —
Since 2005, Texas Right to Life has worked to reform the current Texas Advance Directive Act (Chapter 166, Texas Health and Safety Code) that robs hospitalized patients of all due process.
Senate Bill 303 is being promoted as a “compromise bill” with Pro-Life support, but all the major Pro-Life organizations in the state oppose SB 303. Click here for the list of those opposed. Even though Texas Right to Life has led on helping patients move to different care settings, neither we nor the disability rights advocates, nor anyone opposed to SB 303, were included in pre-session discussions of the bill.
Even though Senate Bill 303 needs at least 15 amendments to add minimum patient protections, we have prioritized the top 5 changes needed.
Please tell your Senator today that SB303 is not Pro-Life and needs the following 5 fixes:
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Ensure that patients and family, not a hospital ethics committee, is the final authority on whether a DNR is issued for a hospitalized patient.
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Provide free medical records to families at the time the family receives notice of the ethics committee meeting at which the removal of life-sustaining treatment will be discussed.
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Replace the four broad, subjective criteria by which hospitals can remove life-sustaining treatment and add language to protect the disabled, the terminal, and the aged from discriminatory practices and quality of life value judgments.
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Do not limit number of patient advocates or family members who can attend the ethics committee meeting.
- Extend transfer time to 60 days, in order to give family enough time to find another facility, clear insurance red tape, and arrange logistics for a transfer.
Click here to see a full analysis of the bill, current law, and the Pro-Life position.
Call the your State Senator right now and tell him/her to vote NO on Senate Bill 303!
Yours for Life,