WHB/6/4
Sponsored by Avery Glover, Nathan Plavich of Baylor School
This legislation was filed in the Health category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1) Terms in this act shall be defined as follows: |
| 4 | a. Euthanasia: the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or an |
| 5 | irreversible coma. |
| 6 | b. Terminal Illness: Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or |
| 7 | adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. Death is likely in six |
| 8 | months. |
| 9 | c. Physician: a person with a doctoral degree, who is qualified to practice medicine. |
| 10 | d. Mental Competency: a person’s ability to make rational decisions and express themselves. |
| 11 | e. Consenting adult: a mentally competent legal adult that is capable of making legal decisions on |
| 12 | their own. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Section 2) |
| 15 | a. Mentally competent adults who are terminally ill are able to make the decision to partake in |
| 16 | euthanasia. |
| 17 | I. Only terminally ill patients with death being imminent within 8 months are qualified for this |
| 18 | medical practice. |
| 19 | II. The patient must show signs of mental competence and, through thorough consultation and |
| 20 | viewing, show that they are under the proper mental control to make the decision to proceed with |
| 21 | this procedure. |
| 22 | III. Only consenting adults above the age of 21 years old are permitted to consent to this |
| 23 | procedure. Parents or guardians of patients below 21 cannot consent to this procedure for their |
| 24 | child. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Section 3) |
| 27 | a. Only licensed medical professionals are permitted to conduct and advise on euthanasia. |
| 28 | I. The patient must be made aware of all the details of the procedure and must be aware of this |
| 29 | through multiple consultations. |
| 30 | II. A minimum of 4 consultations, among the span of a minimum of 45 days are to be conducted |
| 31 | by trained professionals. |
| 32 | III. Patients must be evaluated by a minimum of two physicians and two psychiatrists to make |
| 33 | undoubtedly certain that a patient’s mental and physical conditions are consistent with the |
| 34 | requirements for the procedure. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Section 4) |
| 37 | |
| 38 | b. The family of the patient cannot sue the hospital or physician on the basis of performing the |
| 39 | euthanasia procedure when the patient, in good mental capability, has consented with the above |
| 40 | requirement met. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | Section 5) |
| 43 | a. This act requires no funding. The Office of Health Care Facilities will be held responsible for |
| 44 | ensuring that physicians are aware of the new law and responsibilities with it. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 6) All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. |
| 47 | |
| 48 | Section 7) This act shall take effect on January 1st, 2025. |
| 49 |