HB1712 amends the Illinois Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law to expand and clarify the state’s role in advance directive and POLST-related information. The bill requires the Department of Public Health to prepare and publish the summary of advance directives law and related forms, including the Uniform POLST form, and allows publication to be limited to the department’s website. It also directs the department to publish Spanish-language versions of key end-of-life planning documents, including the living will declaration, health care power of attorney, declaration of mental health treatment, the advance directives summary, and the Uniform POLST form.
The bill further requires the Department of Public Health, in consultation with a broad group of medical, nursing, hospital, emergency medical, legal, and organ donation stakeholders, to develop and publish a uniform practitioner orders form for CPR or life-sustaining treatment orders that can be used across settings. It authorizes an electronic version of the Uniform POLST form to be created, signed, or revoked using a technology-neutral system that meets electronic signature standards, and clarifies that the form does not replace a physician’s or other practitioner’s authority to issue a DNR order. The bill also directs the department to study the feasibility of a statewide registry for advance directives and POLST forms and to approve and post training resources for accurate completion of the form, including annual training for staff in nursing facilities and other providers using the form.
HB1712 updates Section 2310-600 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, affecting the Department of Public Health’s duties regarding advance directives, POLST forms, and related educational materials. It expands publication requirements, adds Spanish-language access, authorizes electronic execution of POLST forms, requires training resources, and calls for a feasibility study on a statewide registry. The bill primarily affects the Department of Public Health, health care providers, nursing homes, hospitals, emergency medical systems, and residents using advance care planning documents.
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, passing the House 76-40 and the Senate 57-0. That voting pattern suggests generally favorable sentiment toward improving access, standardization, and usability of advance directive and POLST materials, especially through multilingual and electronic options. The absence of recorded committee transcript discussion limits insight into detailed debate, but the strong final votes indicate the measure was not highly controversial overall.
The main points of potential contention are likely administrative and policy-related rather than ideological: whether the Department of Public Health should be required to create and maintain a statewide registry, how much burden the new training and publication duties place on the department and health care facilities, and whether electronic POLST execution should be governed by a generic, technology-neutral system. Another possible issue is the scope of stakeholder consultation, since the bill involves multiple professional and legal organizations in developing the uniform form. However, the unanimous Senate vote suggests any concerns did not prevent broad agreement.