Concerning requiring a pregnant person's health-care provider to offer the pregnant person the option to fill out a "Do Not Abort" form.
Summary
HB 26-1085 would require a pregnant person’s health-care provider to offer the patient an optional “Do Not Abort” form. The form would allow a pregnant person to state that they do not wish to receive an abortion if they later become incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate. If the patient completes the form, the provider must place it in the patient’s medical record.
The bill is narrowly focused on creating a new documentation option in medical settings rather than changing abortion law directly. It would add a new section to Colorado statutes governing health care, specifically requiring providers to present the form and retain it in the medical record. The bill would take effect after the standard post-adjournment period unless referred to voters through the referendum process.
Impact
The bill would amend Colorado Revised Statutes by adding section 25-3-135, creating a new provider duty to offer and file a “Do Not Abort” form for pregnant patients. It would affect health-care providers, medical recordkeeping practices, and potentially end-of-life or incapacity planning in pregnancy-related care, but it would not itself prohibit abortions or change the underlying legality of abortion in Colorado.
Sentiment
Based on the available legislative history, the bill appears to have faced unfavorable treatment in committee, as its last recorded action was a House Committee on Health & Human Services postponement indefinitely. No votes or committee transcript excerpts are provided, so there is little evidence of broader support in the record supplied. The bill’s introduction suggests an effort to create a patient-directed safeguard, but the committee outcome indicates limited momentum.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the bill’s relationship to abortion rights and medical autonomy. Supporters would presumably view the form as a way to document a pregnant person’s wishes in advance if they become incapacitated, while opponents may see it as unnecessary, politically charged, or potentially confusing in clinical settings. Because the bill requires providers to offer the form, another possible concern is whether it imposes an administrative burden or interferes with existing medical decision-making and advance directive practices.