Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2777 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a person, a person's guardian, or agent, or surrogate with legal authority, to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the person to allow withholding cardiac resuscitation and artificial breathing or to revoke "comfort care only-do not resuscitate" (CCO-DNR) documents.

Your Committee finds that current law specifies that only a physician declaration of a terminal condition can implement pre-hospital CCO-DNR protocols. This can place physicians in the unenviable position of mitigating against the very personal autonomy and self-determination intended by such documents.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2777 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.