http://www.blogsforterri.com/archives/2005/05/progress_in_lou.php
May 17, 2005
Progress in Louisiana
Topics: Legislative Action Items
House committee OKs bill to restrict removal of feeding tubes
(House Bill 675)
A House committee approved a bill Monday that would restrict families' ability to remove a feeding tube from a terminal patient, despite objections that the measure would force many people with living wills to rewrite them.
Under current law, the term "life support" in living wills includes such tubes - they can be removed if that is the doctors' recommendation, family members agree and the patient's living will indicated that he did not want to be kept alive on life support.
Under Rep. Gary Beard's bill, the tubes would not be considered "life support." People whose living wills don't make a distinction between life support and feeding tubes would have to be kept alive with the tubes, even if their living will says a patient does not want to be kept alive on life support. (snip)