2019 WISCONSIN ACT 90
An Act to renumber 155.01 (1);
to renumber and amend 154.01 (1), 154.01 (3) and 302.384; to amend 50.94 (8), 154.01 (5) (intro.), subchapter II (title) of chapter 154 [precedes 154.02], 154.02 (3), 154.03 (title), 154.03 (1) (intro.), 154.03 (2), 154.05 (1) (c), 154.05 (2), 154.07 (1) (a) (intro.), 154.07 (1) (a) 3., 154.07 (2), 154.19 (1) (intro.), 154.19 (1) (e), 154.19 (2) (a), 154.19 (2) (b) (intro.), 154.21 (2), 154.23 (intro.), 154.27 (1), 155.05 (2), 155.20 (4), 155.30 (1), 155.30 (3), 155.50 (1) (b), 165.77 (1) (a) and 441.07 (1g) (d) (intro.); and to create 154.01 (1g), 154.01 (3) (a), 154.01 (3) (b), 154.01 (3) (c), 155.01 (1g), 302.384 (1m) and 448.015 (4) (am) 2m. of the statutes; relating to: certifications for advance directives, findings of incapacity related to powers of attorney for health care, and determinations that a person is incapacitated for admission to a hospice.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
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Section 1s. 50.94 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
50.94 (8) A determination that a person is incapacitated may be made only by 2 physicians or by one physician and one licensed psychologist, as defined in s. 455.01 (4) advanced practice clinician, as defined in s. 155.01 (1g), who personally examine the person and sign a statement specifying that the person is incapacitated. Mere old age, eccentricity or physical disabilities, singly or together, are insufficient to determine that a person is incapacitated. Whoever determines that the person is incapacitated may not be a relative, as defined in s. 242.01 (11), of the person or have knowledge that he or she is entitled to or has claim on any portion of the person's estate. A copy of the statement shall be included in the records of the incapacitated person in the hospice to which he or she is admitted.
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1u. 154.01 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 154.01 (1r) and amended to read:
154.01 (1r) “Attending physician health care professional" means a physician licensed under ch. 448
health care professional who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient.
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2. 154.01 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:
154.01 (1g) “Advanced practice registered nurse” means a nurse licensed under ch. 441 who is currently certified by a national certifying body approved by the board of nursing as a nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist, or clinical nurse specialist.
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3. 154.01 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 154.01 (3) (intro.) and amended to read:
154.01 (3) (intro.) “Health care professional" means a person licensed, certified or registered under ch. 441, 448 or 455. any of the following:
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4. 154.01 (3) (a) of the statutes is created to read:
154.01 (3) (a) A physician licensed under ch. 448.
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5. 154.01 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
154.01 (3) (b) A physician assistant licensed under ch. 448.
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6. 154.01 (3) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
154.01 (3) (c) An advanced practice registered nurse.
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7. 154.01 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
154.01 (5) (intro.) “Life-sustaining procedure" means any medical procedure or intervention that, in the judgment of the attending physician health care professional, would serve only to prolong the dying process but not avert death when applied to a qualified patient. “Life-sustaining procedure" includes assistance in respiration, artificial maintenance of blood pressure and heart rate, blood transfusion, kidney dialysis and other similar procedures, but does not include:
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8. Subchapter II (title) of chapter 154 [precedes 154.02] of the statutes is amended to read:
CHAPTER 154
SUBCHAPTER II
DECLARATION TO PHYSICIANS
health care professionals
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9. 154.02 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
154.02 (3) “Qualified patient" means a declarant who has been diagnosed and certified in writing to be afflicted with a terminal condition or to be in a persistent vegetative state by 2 physicians health care professionals, one of whom is the attending physician
health care professional and one of whom is a physician, who have personally examined the declarant.
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10. 154.03 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
154.03 (title) Declaration to
physicians health care professionals.
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11. 154.03 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
154.03 (1) (intro.) Any person of sound mind and 18 years of age or older may at any time voluntarily execute a declaration, which shall take effect on the date of execution, authorizing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or of feeding tubes when the person is in a terminal condition or is in a persistent vegetative state. A declarant may not authorize the withholding or withdrawal of any medication, life-sustaining procedure or feeding tube if the declarant's attending physician health care professional advises that, in his or her professional judgment, the withholding or withdrawal will cause the declarant pain or reduce the declarant's comfort and the pain or discomfort cannot be alleviated through pain relief measures. A declarant may not authorize the withholding or withdrawal of nutrition or hydration that is administered or otherwise received by the declarant through means other than a feeding tube unless the declarant's attending physician health care professional advises that, in his or her professional judgment, the administration is medically contraindicated. A declaration must be signed by the declarant in the presence of 2 witnesses. If the declarant is physically unable to sign a declaration, the declaration must be signed in the declarant's name by one of the witnesses or some other person at the declarant's express direction and in his or her presence; such a proxy signing shall either take place or be acknowledged by the declarant in the presence of 2 witnesses. The declarant is responsible for notifying his or her attending physician health care professional of the existence of the declaration. An attending physician health care professional who is so notified shall make the declaration a part of the declarant's medical records. No witness to the execution of the declaration may, at the time of the execution, be any of the following:
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12. 154.03 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
154.03 (2) The department shall prepare and provide copies of the declaration and accompanying information for distribution in quantities to health care professionals persons licensed, certified, or registered under ch. 441, 448, or 455, hospitals, nursing homes, county clerks and local bar associations and individually to private persons. The department shall include, in information accompanying the declaration, at least the statutory definitions of terms used in the declaration, statutory restrictions on who may be witnesses to a valid declaration, a statement explaining that valid witnesses acting in good faith are statutorily immune from civil or criminal liability, an instruction to potential declarants to read and understand the information before completing the declaration and a statement explaining that an instrument may, but need not be, filed with the register in probate of the declarant's county of residence. The department may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of preparation and distribution. The declaration distributed by the department of health services shall be easy to read, the type size may be no smaller than 10 point, and the declaration shall be in the following form, setting forth on the first page the wording before the ATTENTION statement and setting forth on the 2nd page the ATTENTION statement and remaining wording:
Declaration to physicians health care professionals
(WISCONSIN LIVING WILL)
I,...., being of sound mind, voluntarily state my desire that my dying not be prolonged under the circumstances specified in this document. Under those circumstances, I direct that I be permitted to die naturally. If I am unable to give directions regarding the use of life-sustaining procedures or feeding tubes, I intend that my family and physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse honor this document as the final expression of my legal right to refuse medical or surgical treatment.
1. If I have a TERMINAL CONDITION, as determined by 2 physicians a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who have
has personally examined me, and if a physician who has also personally examined me agrees with that determination, I do not want my dying to be artificially prolonged and I do not want life-sustaining procedures to be used. In addition, the following are my directions regarding the use of feeding tubes:
.... YES, I want feeding tubes used if I have a terminal condition.
.... NO, I do not want feeding tubes used if I have a terminal condition.
If you have not checked either box, feeding tubes will be used.
2. If I am in a PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE, as determined by 2 physicians a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who have has personally examined me, and if a physician who has also personally examined me agrees with that determination, the following are my directions regarding the use of life-sustaining procedures:
.... YES, I want life-sustaining procedures used if I am in a persistent vegetative state.
.... NO, I do not want life-sustaining procedures used if I am in a persistent vegetative state.
If you have not checked either box, life-sustaining procedures will be used.
3. If I am in a PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE, as determined by 2 physicians a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who have has personally examined me, and if a physician who has also personally examined me agrees with that determination, the following are my directions regarding the use of feeding tubes:
.... YES, I want feeding tubes used if I am in a persistent vegetative state.
.... NO, I do not want feeding tubes used if I am in a persistent vegetative state.
If you have not checked either box, feeding tubes will be used.
If you are interested in more information about the significant terms used in this document, see section 154.01 of the Wisconsin Statutes or the information accompanying this document.
ATTENTION: You and the 2 witnesses must sign the document at the same time.
Signed .... Date ....
Address .... Date of birth ....
I believe that the person signing this document is of sound mind. I am an adult and am not related to the person signing this document by blood, marriage or adoption. I am not entitled to and do not have a claim on any portion of the person's estate and am not otherwise restricted by law from being a witness.
Witness signature .... Date signed ....
Print name ....
Witness signature .... Date signed ....
Print name ....
DIRECTIVES TO ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, OR ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE
1. This document authorizes the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or of feeding tubes when 2 physicians a physician and another physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse, one of whom is the attending physician
health care professional, have personally examined and certified in writing that the patient has a terminal condition or is in a persistent vegetative state.
2. The choices in this document were made by a competent adult. Under the law, the patient's stated desires must be followed unless you believe that withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining procedures or feeding tubes would cause the patient pain or reduced comfort and that the pain or discomfort cannot be alleviated through pain relief measures. If the patient's stated desires are that life-sustaining procedures or feeding tubes be used, this directive must be followed.
3. If you feel that you cannot comply with this document, you must make a good faith attempt to transfer the patient to another physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who will comply. Refusal or failure to make a good faith attempt to do so constitutes unprofessional conduct.
4. If you know that the patient is pregnant, this document has no effect during her pregnancy.
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The person making this living will may use the following space to record the names of those individuals and health care providers to whom he or she has given copies of this document:
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