Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Program Act establishment, certain acts immunity establishment, and appropriation
Summary
SF 2418 would create a statewide Minnesota Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program within the Department of Health. The bill directs the commissioner of health to establish and administer a POLST registry, a 24/7 call center, and related education and training through a contract with the Minnesota POLST Steering Committee. It defines key terms such as POLST, life-sustaining treatment, authorized users, and the health professionals who may sign a POLST, and it sets a January 1, 2026 implementation deadline.
The registry is intended to collect and make available current POLST forms so that emergency responders and health care providers can quickly access a patient’s treatment preferences near the end of life. The bill also allows patients or their legal representatives to revoke a POLST, remove it from the registry, or opt out of registry inclusion entirely. In addition, the commissioner may authorize qualified researchers to access registry data under rules that protect privacy and limit use.
Impact
The bill would add a new chapter 145C program in Minnesota Statutes and amend the state data practices law to classify POLST registry data as private or nonpublic, with additional limits on subpoenas and civil discovery. It also creates immunity for persons who in good faith report information to the registry or rely on registry information. The Department of Health would gain new responsibilities to build and operate the registry and call center, coordinate training, and potentially contract with a public or private entity to administer the system, supported by a $600,000 general fund appropriation in fiscal year 2026 and ongoing base funding.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a patient-centered health care administration bill aimed at improving end-of-life care coordination and honoring treatment preferences. The structure of the bill emphasizes privacy protections, patient choice, and operational access for emergency and clinical users, suggesting a generally supportive policy approach rather than a controversial mandate. No formal vote history or transcript evidence is available here to show opposition or amendments.
Contention
The main policy sensitivities in the bill are privacy, access, and implementation. Some stakeholders could be concerned about the collection and sharing of highly sensitive end-of-life medical orders, even though the bill classifies the data as private/nonpublic and restricts disclosure. Others may focus on the operational burden and cost of creating a statewide registry and 24/7 call center, or on whether the state should require all current valid POLSTs to be submitted unless a patient opts out. The bill also leaves room for debate over researcher access, the scope of authorized users, and the extent of the commissioner’s rulemaking and contracting authority.
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Commissioner of health required to establish a provider orders for life-sustaining treatment program, rulemaking authorized, data classified, immunity established for certain acts, and money appropriated.
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