1. This section shall be known and may be cited as “Simon’s Law”.

2. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(1) “End-of-life medical decision order”, a decision issued by a juvenile or family court pertaining to life-sustaining treatment, including do-not-resuscitate orders, provided on behalf of and in the best interests of a child under juvenile or family court jurisdiction under section 211.031;

(2) “Reasonable medical judgment”, a medical judgment that would be made by a reasonably prudent health care provider who is knowledgeable about the case and the treatment possibilities with respect to the medical conditions involved.

3. For a child who is not under juvenile or family court jurisdiction under section 211.031, no health care facility, nursing home, physician, nurse, or medical staff shall institute a do-not-resuscitate order or similar physician’s order, either orally or in writing, without the written or oral consent of at least one parent or legal guardian of the patient or resident under eighteen years of age who is not emancipated. If consent to implement a do-not-resuscitate order or similar physician’s order is granted orally, two witnesses other than the parent, legal guardian, or physician shall be present and willing to attest to the consent given by at least one parent or the legal guardian of the patient or resident. The provision of such consent shall be immediately recorded in the patient’s or resident’s medical record, specifying who provided the information, to whom the information was provided, which parent or legal guardian gave the consent, who the witnesses were, and the date and time the consent was obtained.

4. The requirements of subsection 3 of this section shall not apply if a reasonably diligent effort of at least forty-eight hours without success has been made to contact and inform each known parent or legal guardian of the intent to implement a do-not-resuscitate order or similar physician’s order.

5. Consent previously given under subsection 3 of this section may be revoked orally or in writing by the parent or legal guardian of the patient or resident who granted the original permission. Such revocation of prior consent shall take precedence over any prior consent to implement a do-not-resuscitate order or similar physician’s order and shall be immediately recorded in the patient’s or resident’s medical record, specifying who provided the information, to whom the information was provided, which parent or legal guardian revoked consent, who the witnesses were, and the date and time the revocation was obtained.

6. For a child under juvenile court jurisdiction under section 211.031, a juvenile or family court may issue an end-of-life medical decision order, a physician’s order, or any other medical decision order, or may appoint a guardian for the child for that purpose. The children’s division shall not be appointed as guardian for a child to make an end-of-life medical decision^*, including a do-not-resuscitate order^*. In the event a child under the jurisdiction of a juvenile or family court under section 211.031 is returned to the custody of the parent or legal guardian, the parent or legal guardian may revoke the consent for the end-of-life medical decision^* or similar physician’s orders ordered by the court, including a do-not-resuscitate order^* for the child. Revocation may be orally or in writing and shall be immediately recorded in the patient’s or resident’s medical records, specifying who provided the information, to whom the information was provided, which parent or legal guardian revoked consent, who the witnesses were, and the date and time the revocation was obtained.

7. For the purposes of this section, a relative caregiver under the provisions of section 431.058 shall have the same authority given to a parent or legal guardian of a nonemancipated patient or resident under eighteen years of age, provided that such a patient or resident is not under juvenile or family court jurisdiction under section 211.031.

8. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any health care facility, nursing home, physician, nurse, or medical staff to provide or continue any treatment, including resuscitative efforts, food, medication, oxygen, intravenous fluids, or nutrition, that would be:

(1) Medically inappropriate because, in their reasonable medical judgment, providing such treatment would create a greater risk of causing or hastening the death of the patient or resident; or

(2) Medically inappropriate because, in their reasonable medical judgment, providing such treatment would be potentially harmful or cause unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to the patient or resident.

9. Nothing in this section shall require health care providers to continue cardiopulmonary resuscitation or manual ventilation beyond a time in which, in their reasonable medical judgment, there is no further benefit to the patient or resident or likely recovery of the patient or resident.