Substitute House Bill No. 451 Summary

• Forfeits statutory priority to decide on withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment if the decision-maker is subject to a temporary protection order or civil protection order and the patient/relative is the alleged victim

• Forfeits statutory priority if the decision-maker and patient are married and parties to a pending divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment proceeding

• Voids any objections to living wills made by persons whose statutory priority is forfeited under these circumstances

• Renders attorneys-in-fact incompetent to make life-sustaining treatment, nutrition, or hydration decisions if subject to a protection order in which the principal is the alleged victim

• Applies to decisions under durable powers of attorney for health care and statutory surrogate decision-making provisions