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HF1810 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Commissioner of health required to establish a provider orders for life-sustaining treatment program, rulemaking authorized, data classified, immunity established for certain acts, and money appropriated.

Related bill: SF2418

AI Generated Summary

This bill establishes a Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program in Minnesota. The POLST program aims to ensure that medical treatment preferences of patients nearing the end of life are honored.

Key Provisions:

  1. Creation of the POLST Program

    • The Minnesota Commissioner of Health must establish and administer this statewide initiative.
    • It includes a POLST registry and a POLST registry call center to collect and provide access to POLST orders.
    • The Minnesota POLST Steering Committee, administered by the Minnesota Medical Association, will provide education and training.

  2. POLST Registry

    • A centralized, electronic system for storing POLST orders.
    • Authorized users (such as emergency medical services, hospitals, and healthcare providers) can access these records.
    • Patients or their legal representatives can revoke or choose not to include a POLST in the registry.
    • Researchers may access data under strict privacy and security regulations.

  3. POLST Registry Call Center

    • A 24/7 hotline to ensure authorized users can obtain POLST information without broadband access.

  4. Legal & Privacy Protections

    • The bill classifies POLST registry data as private or nonpublic.
    • Individuals acting in good faith by reporting or acting upon POLST information are granted immunity from civil or criminal liability.

  5. Implementation & Funding

    • The program must be fully operational by January 1, 2026.
    • $500,000 is allocated in fiscal year 2026 for setting up the POLST registry and call center, with $400,000 per year for 2027 and 2028.
    • $100,000 is set aside for a contract with the Minnesota POLST Steering Committee to provide training.

Impact:

This bill enhances patient autonomy by ensuring that end-of-life care preferences are easily accessible to healthcare providers, improving compliance with patient wishes and reducing unnecessary medical interventions.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
March 02, 2025HouseFloorActionIntroduction and first reading, referred toHealth Finance and Policy

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Reference to medical response units as authorized users."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Section 144E.001 is referenced regarding definitions related to emergency medical responders and paramedics within the context of authorized users of the POLST registry.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarification of roles and inclusion criteria for emergency services personnel accessing the POLST registry."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "144E.001"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Medical response units explicitly listed as users."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill includes section 144E.275 to identify medical response units as authorized users of the POLST registry.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "144E.275"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "These sections cover licensing and certification for nurse practitioners in Minnesota, which are referenced to define nurse practitioners as signatories for POLST forms.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarification of nurse practitioners’ authority regarding POLST."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "148.171 to 148.285"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "These chapters define licensing for physicians and physician assistants, framing their roles in signing POLST forms.",
      "modified": [
        "Specifications on medical professionals qualified to sign POLST."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "147 and 147A"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Reference to laws from the prior session sets forth the recommendations basis for developing the POLST program.",
      "modified": [
        "Integration of recommendations from previous session laws into the POLST program framework."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "Laws 2023, chapter 70, article 4, section 100"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Section 13.02 is referenced in relation to data classification within the POLST registry to ensure privacy and anonymity.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarification of data privacy protocols concerning POLST."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "13.02"
  }
]

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