MN SF4333

Requires an ethics or medical committee to review any physician's refusal to comply with a patient's health care directive requesting life-sustaining care or treatment, including artificially administered nutrition and hydration.

Committee may only affirm the physician's refusal if the care would cause substantial and intractable physical pain with no reasonable grounds the patient would want it, cause life-threatening complications with no less harmful alternatives, or be altogether useless because death from terminal illness is inevitable and imminent.

Prohibits committees from affirming refusals for pregnant patients and requires patients receive all necessary life-sustaining care during the review process, including nutrition, hydration, and pain management.

Patients may receive care for up to 21 calendar days after the committee's written decision while transferring to another willing physician or facility, unless a district court extends this period.

Allows patients or their surrogates to petition district court to extend the transfer timeline, and requires courts to extend it if the committee did not satisfy the requirements for affirming the physician's refusal.