Senate Bill 3076, Illinois Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST Bill)
Sponsor: State Senator John Mulroe (D-10)
Committee Hearing: State Senate Public Health Committee on Tuesday March 25th at 1:00 p.m. in Room 409 in the Capitol
What is a POLST FORM? A POLST Form is a do-not-resuscitate medical order to do nothing (even CPR) to save an individual.
OPPOSE THIS BILL BECAUSE:
1. SB 3076 amends the Illinois Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment [POLST] form to allow for "practitioners" other than physicians to sign the POLST form. The other "practitioners" include "advanced practical nurse, physician's assistant or licensed resident after completion of one year in a program."
2. SB 3076 does not distinguish between terminal or non-terminal conditions for withholding treatment. As proposed in the bill this form promotes withholding treatment instead of protection for patients.
(For example: A patient who signs a POLST form can check a box "do-not-attempt-resuscitation" if he/she stops breathing and the pulse stops. This is an "actionable medical order" to do nothing even if CPR would clearly be called for in a medical situation. For example, an allergic reaction to a medication can stop the breathing and pulse, but most patients would want to have CPR. The POLST form says NO).
3. SB3076 changes the long-standing relationship of doctor and patient in matters of end-of-life decisions by having nurses and even less qualified physician's assistants talk to patients about these decisions and authorize "actionable medical orders" including "do-not-resuscitate" orders even in non-terminal situations.
4. SB3076 will confuse many elderly and frail patients who may not understand the various options available to them with a POLST form. They require more education and options thaN the POLST form provides.
5. SB3076 has the support of private foundations that have put their money into promoting euthanasia organizations.
WHAT YOU MUST DO TO STOP THIS BILL:
1. Contact your state senator today or tomorrow before 1:00 p.m. Urge him/her to vote NO on SB 3076 - the POLST bill. You can find you legislator's contact information at: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx
2. Contact the following Public Health Committee Members:
Chairman John Mulroe
Mattie Hunter
Napoleon Harris, III
Kwame Raoul
Heather A. Steans
Patricia Van Pelt
Dave Syverson
Dari M. LaHood
Jim Oberweis
3. REGISTER ONLINE WITH THE ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ORDER TO FILE WITNESS SLIPS
-What is a witness slip? A witness slip is a form that is filled out by lobbyists and concerned citizens to express their support or opposition to a bill that is being heard in the committee. The witness slips are read by the Chair of the committee before the bill is heard. It is always impressive to have a stack of witness slips in support of or opposing a bill.
NOW YOU CAN FILL OUT A WITNESS SLIP AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD WITHOUT TRAVELING TO SPRINGFIELD!
(YOU WILL ALSO BE REGISTERED TO FILE WITNESS SLIPS ON OTHER PRO-LIFE RELATED LEGISLATION WHEN YOU DO THIS AND WE WILL ALERT YOU WHEN WE NEED TO DO SO!)
SO REGISTER NOW AND HERE IS HOW:
1. Go to the Illinois General Assembly Website at www.ilga.gov
2. Click on "GA Dashboard" found in red under "Reports and Inquiry"
(See website link here: http://www.ilga.gov/)
3. At the Dashboard site, click on "Register" on the left column
(See Dashboard link here: http://my.ilga.gov/)
4. At the "Create an Account" page, put in your email and create your password, check agree to the Terms and Agreements and click "register."
NOW YOU CAN FILL OUT YOUR WITNESS SLIP AND HERE IS HOW:
1. Log in whenever you need to file a witness slip.
2. Follow the directions above to get to the GA Dashboard once you are registered.
3. Click "log in" at the upper right of the screen.
4. Click "Senate" at the left of the screen.
5. Click "Committees" at the left of the screen
6. Go down to Public Health Committee and if it says "Scheduled" on the right of it, click on the second icon "View Committee Hearings"
7. Click on "View Legislation" on right.
8. Find SB 3076 and click on the second icon "Create Witness Slip"
9. Complete the witness form. Check "opponent" under POSITION, "record of appearance only" under TESTIMONY, click "Create (Slip)"
If hundreds of people throughout the State do this, it would be a powerful message against SB 3076 and the members of the committee will take notice.
