SB 29-10: SADNEWS Act (Passed)

[Left Wing]

A BILL
To protect the wellbeing and rights of Atlasians with learning disabilities

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: TITLE
1. This legislation may be referred to as the Stop Abuse of DNACPR Notices and End Waitlist Situations (SADNEWS) Act.

SECTION II: DEFINITIONS
1. For the purposes of this bill,
   a. "Vaccine" shall refer to COVID-19 vaccines that have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
   b. "Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) orders," also known as "Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders," shall refer to medical orders written by doctors instructing healthcare providers not to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patient's breathing stops or if the patient's heart stops beating.
   c. "Learning disabilities" shall refer to clinically diagnosed conditions adversely affecting a person's ability to receive and process information, manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities.

SECTION III: FINDINGS
1. The Atlasian Congress finds:
   a. That, as presently defined, DNACPR orders are vulnerable to abuse by medical practitioners, administrators, or institutions;
   b. That COVID-19 patients with learning disabilities suffer an injustice when inappropriate DNACPR orders are issued for them without their consent;
   c. That, as a result of numerous environmental and bureaucratic obstacles to accessing treatment, people with learning disabilities are more likely than the average person to die of COVID-19 if they contract the disease and should be included among the highly-prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations forthwith.

SECTION IV: RESTRICTIONS ON DNACPR ORDERS
1. DNACPR orders must not be issued in blanket form to any group of people.
2. Medical officers shall be required to notify the patient (if possible) and any relevant family members, legal guardians, or healthcare advisors before issuing a DNACPR order for the patient.
3. DNACPR orders shall not be issued without the patient's explicit and official consent to the decision, provided the patient is able to give such.
   a. If—and only if—the patient is incapacitated or otherwise unable to consent, their family member(s), legal guardian(s), or a previously designated healthcare professional (if any) may make the decision on their behalf.
4. The presence, or lack thereof, of learning disabilities shall not be grounds for consideration or issuance of DNACPR orders for patients.


SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION
1. This legislation shall take effect immediately upon passage.

By a vote of 9-0-0, this bill passes the House.

Sponsor: FalterinArc
Status: Passed

[Left Wing]

I apologize for not moving this one earlier, it was passed right before the change over in the speakership so I didn't receive a PM about it.

Anyway, I can sponsor, 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

People don't send enough PMs anymore on such things.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This bill does a hit a little close to home based on a situation with a relative. I have never been fond of the way in which this is often handled and I still have some concerns about how things were done in 2018.

[SevenEleven]

I apologize for not moving this one earlier, it was passed right before the change over in the speakership so I didn't receive a PM about it.

Anyway, I can sponsor, 24 hours to object.

I think I PMed Yankee and Scott...maybe not, sorry!

[Spark]

I am initially inclined to support this bill due to the protections that are put into place against DNR orders.

[Blair]

This is a very serious issue & one that has got lost in a lot of the coverage about the healthcare (and general inequality) related issues around covid. Am happy to support this bill.

[Left Wing]

Also, I am recognized as sponsor

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This is a very serious issue & one that has got lost in a lot of the coverage about the healthcare (and general inequality) related issues around covid. Am happy to support this bill.

Covid has exposed so many deficiencies in health care as a profession that it emphasizes that efforts to expand access based on financial considerations like Scott, others and I did in 2017, and like is still the focus in real life is an essential first, it is still just that, a first step. Questions of practices in the industry come up and questions of protocols and other processes that determine how and who to treat as well.

One could argue that far more than just those with learning disabilities but more generalized disabilities and even mental illness probably all fall into the same boat of worse Covid outcomes for a variety of factors.

Then when it comes of course to the matter of DNRs, are probably much more likely to be abused as well.

[Left Wing]

As was referred to in the house debate in this measure, the finding of this bill are quite disturbing we can't allow for these discrepancies in our healthcare system to continue and this bill will address those. People with Learning Disabilities already have it hard enough and this bill seeks to close the gap in how  they are treated in our healthcare system. I encourage for us to pass this soon.

[Left Wing]

I motion for a final vote, 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

As was referred to in the house debate in this measure, the finding of this bill are quite disturbing we can't allow for these discrepancies in our healthcare system to continue and this bill will address those. People with Learning Disabilities already have it hard enough and this bill seeks to close the gap in how  they are treated in our healthcare system. I encourage for us to pass this soon.

Certainly agreed and I am likewise of a mind to proceed expeditiously on addressing this concern. 

[Left Wing]

A final vote is now open on this legislation.

[Left Wing]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Aye

[Spark]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I PMed the last three Senators plus the presiding officer.

[Blair]

Aye

[Left Wing]

This has the votes to pass, 24 hours to change your votes.

[Pericles]

Aye

[Left Wing]

By a vote of 5-0–0-1, this passes the senate.

Aye: FalterinArc, Yankee, Spark, Blair, Pericles
Nay:
Abstain:
Didn’t Vote: SevenEleven

[Left Wing]

A BILL
To protect the wellbeing and rights of Atlasians with learning disabilities

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: TITLE
1. This legislation may be referred to as the Stop Abuse of DNACPR Notices and End Waitlist Situations (SADNEWS) Act.

SECTION II: DEFINITIONS
1. For the purposes of this bill,
   a. "Vaccine" shall refer to COVID-19 vaccines that have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
   b. "Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) orders," also known as "Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders," shall refer to medical orders written by doctors instructing healthcare providers not to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patient's breathing stops or if the patient's heart stops beating.
   c. "Learning disabilities" shall refer to clinically diagnosed conditions adversely affecting a person's ability to receive and process information, manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities.

SECTION III: FINDINGS
1. The Atlasian Congress finds:
   a. That, as presently defined, DNACPR orders are vulnerable to abuse by medical practitioners, administrators, or institutions;
   b. That COVID-19 patients with learning disabilities suffer an injustice when inappropriate DNACPR orders are issued for them without their consent;
   c. That, as a result of numerous environmental and bureaucratic obstacles to accessing treatment, people with learning disabilities are more likely than the average person to die of COVID-19 if they contract the disease and should be included among the highly-prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations forthwith.

SECTION IV: RESTRICTIONS ON DNACPR ORDERS
1. DNACPR orders must not be issued in blanket form to any group of people.
2. Medical officers shall be required to notify the patient (if possible) and any relevant family members, legal guardians, or healthcare advisors before issuing a DNACPR order for the patient.
3. DNACPR orders shall not be issued without the patient's explicit and official consent to the decision, provided the patient is able to give such.
   a. If—and only if—the patient is incapacitated or otherwise unable to consent, their family member(s), legal guardian(s), or a previously designated healthcare professional (if any) may make the decision on their behalf.
4. The presence, or lack thereof, of learning disabilities shall not be grounds for consideration or issuance of DNACPR orders for patients.


SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION
1. This legislation shall take effect immediately upon passage.

By a vote of 9-0-0, this bill passes the House.

People's Regional Senate
Passed 5-0-0-1 in the Atlasian Senate assembled,

[SevenEleven]

Aye.