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H1816 • 2025

An Act relative to health care proxy storage and activation

An Act relative to health care proxy storage and activation

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Sally P. Kerans
Last action
2026-03-26
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to health care proxy storage and activation

An Act relative to health care proxy storage and activation By Representative Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to health care proxy storage and activation By Representative Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1816) of Sally P.
  • Kerans relative to healthcare proxy information.
  • The Judiciary.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-26 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-10-14 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 04/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-04-18 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 04/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  6. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to health care proxy storage and activation
By Representative Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1816) of Sally P. Kerans relative to healthcare proxy information. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.1816

SECTION 1. Section 70 of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- These records shall be kept by secure, electronic digital media or converted to electronic digital media as originally created by such hospital or clinic, by the photographic or microphotographic process, or any combination thereof.

SECTION 2. Section 5 of chapter 201D of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fifth paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following 3 paragraphs:-

An attending physician who is provided with a health care proxy shall arrange for the proxy or a copy thereof to be inserted electronically, in the same manner as a do not resuscitate order, in the principal's medical record.

A facility shall transport a principal’s health care proxy in the same manner used to transport a do not resuscitate order. The facility shall notify the health care agent, using contact information provided by the principal, by telephone and email that the health care agent’s authority has begun.

An attending physician shall grant a request by a principal to involve the health care agent in discussions of health care with the attending physician.

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