MMA Priority Bill Introduced in St. Paul

February 17, 2022

MMA-backed legislation that would require the commissioner of health to study issues related to the development of a statewide registry for Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms was introduced at the Capitol this week. 

The POLST bill, HF 3360, was introduced in the House on February 14 by Rep. Kelly Morrison, MD, (DFL-Deephaven). If passed, the legislation would create an advisory group of stakeholders to study the creation of a statewide registry of POLST forms. 

The bill works to ensure patients’ medical treatments and end-of-life preferences are followed by all healthcare providers, especially in an emergency. Currently, first responders often do not have access to a patient’s POLST form if a physical copy is unavailable during an emergency. That means medical orders, filled out by a physician following extensive discussions with a seriously ill patient and their family, might not be administered.  

The bill serves as a necessary step for future legislation to create a statewide registry for POLST forms, so medical orders can be followed in the most critical of times. If passed, the bill requires the commissioner of health to submit a report on the results of the study to the Legislature by February 2023.