Advance health care directives-dementia.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so there is no official effective date provided in the source material.

Advance Health Care Directives for Dementia

The bill updates the Wyoming health care decisions law to include dementia directives in advance health care planning.

What This Bill Does

• Adds dementia directives as a type of advance health care directive.
• Allows people with dementia to make instructions about their healthcare during different stages of the disease.
• Permits dementia directives to work alongside other types of advance health care directives.

Who It Names or Affects

• People diagnosed with dementia who want to plan ahead for their medical care.
• Healthcare providers and facilities in Wyoming that follow state laws on healthcare decisions.

Terms To Know

Advance health care directive

A legal document where a person can write down their wishes about medical treatment if they become unable to make decisions for themselves.

Dementia directives

Specific instructions within an advance health care directive that address the unique needs of people with dementia as their condition progresses.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass and was not considered for introduction.
• It is unclear how many people will use these new directives once they are available.
• Healthcare providers may need additional training to understand and follow the new dementia directives.

Current Bill Text

25LSO-0216
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0216
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0006

Advance health care directives-dementia.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Larsen, L and Senator(s) Barlow

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming health care decisions act; amending the definition of advance health care directive to include dementia directives; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 35
‑
22
‑
402(a)(i) is amended to read:

35
‑
22
‑
402.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(i)

"Advance health care directive" means an individual instruction or a power of attorney for health care, or both
.
;

The term includes, but is not limited to, directives for dementia as follows:

(A)

Dementia directives that provide individual instruction for health care decisions to address the gradual cognitive decline of a person who has been diagnosed with dementia. Dementia directives may include directions for health care decisions during each stage of dementia regarding the care to be rendered at each stage of the disease. Dementia directives may be used to augment a person's other advance health care directives in accordance with this article.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

1
HB0006