SB1013 - Arkansas Health Care Decisions Act

• Creates the Arkansas Health Care Decisions Act establishing a comprehensive framework for advance directives, including living wills and powers of attorney for health care, to protect patients' rights to make their own health care decisions.

• Allows adults and emancipated minors to execute written advance directives designating an agent to make health care decisions, which must be notarized or witnessed by two competent adults with attestation requirements.

• Permits individuals to designate surrogates to make health care decisions when they lack capacity and no agent or guardian is available, with healthcare providers establishing surrogate hierarchy preferences (spouse, adult child, parent, sibling, other relatives).

• Prohibits healthcare providers and institutions from requiring advance directives as a condition of insurance or treatment, and provides liability protection for providers and decision-makers acting in good faith under the Act.

• Clarifies that withholding or withdrawal of medical care under the Act does not constitute suicide, homicide, or assisted suicide and does not impair insurance policies or annuities, effective October 1, 2013.