CaliforniaHealth care decisions: life-sustaining treatment.
What it does
Existing law defines a request regarding resuscitative measures to mean a written document, signed by an individual with capacity or legally recognized health care decisionmaker and the individual's physician that directs a health care provider regarding resuscitative measures, as prescribed. Existing law includes a prehospital "do not resuscitate" form, as developed by the Emergency Medical Services Authority or other substantially similar form, and Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment form (POLST form), as approved by the Emergency Medical Services Authority as requests regarding resuscitative measures.
More detail
This bill would replace the term "Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment" with "POLST," or "Portable Orders Listing Scope of Treatment." The bill would authorize a request regarding resuscitative measures to be entered into by an individual with capacity or a health care agent, conservator with health care decisionmaking authority, or surrogate, as defined, and a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, as specified. The bill would specify that a request regarding resuscitative measures is entirely voluntary and the provision of care or admission to a facility cannot be conditioned on completion of or refusal to complete a POLST or prehospital "do not resuscitate" order.
Existing law prescribes requirements for forms for requests regarding resuscitative measures, including, among other things, that the form be signed by the executing parties.
The bill would specify that an electronic signature, as defined, is sufficient for any signature required for a request regarding resuscitative measures.
Under this bill, a request regarding resuscitative measures executed in another state or jurisdiction that complies with the laws of that state or jurisdiction or the laws of California is considered valid and enforceable in California to the same extent as a request regarding resuscitative measures validly executed in California. The bill would specify that, in the absence of knowledge to the contrary, a physician or other health care provider may presume that a request regarding resuscitative measures, whether executed in another state or jurisdiction or in California, is valid and unrevoked.
The bill would make conforming changes.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 27Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 677, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 27Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 3Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 27Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 5981.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Special Consent. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 25Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Jun 30In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 1088 Blakespear Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 29Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 5926.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Jun 24Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.Minor
- Jun 23From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 18Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 17From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 16).Major
- Jun 16
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- May 26Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.Minor
- May 19In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- May 18Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 4306.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 30Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Apr 29From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 4085.) (April 28).Minor
- Apr 28
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 10Set for hearing April 28.
- Apr 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3793.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Apr 8
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 23Set for hearing April 8.
- Mar 19March 25 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Mar 17From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Major
- Mar 9Set for hearing March 25.
- Feb 26Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.Minor
- Feb 17From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 16.
- Feb 13Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced