Int. No. 659
By Council Members Clarke, Barron, Foster, Gonzalez, James, Nelson, Reed, Seabrook, Stewart, Weprin and Liu
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring that the city clerk provide a standardized copy of both a living will and a health care proxy to all grooms, brides and domestic partners.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Subchapter 1 of chapter 2 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 3-207.1, to read as follows:
§3-207.1 City clerk; provision of standardized living will and health care proxy. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following words and terms shall have the following meaning:
1. “Health care proxy” shall mean a document created pursuant to article 29-C of the new york state public health law which delegates the authority to another adult known as a health care agent to make health care decisions on behalf of the adult when that adult is incapacitated.
2. “Living will” shall mean a document which contains specific instructions concerning an adult’s wishes about the type of health care choices and treatments that an adult does or does not want to receive, but which does not designate an agent to make health care decisions.
b. Upon issuing a certificate of marriage registration pursuant to section fourteen-a of the domestic relations law, the city clerk shall provide standardized copies of both a living will and a health care proxy, along with written information providing brief explanations of each.
§2. Subchapter 3 of chapter 2 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is hereby amended by adding a new section 3-246, to read as follows:
§3-246 Provision of standardized living will and health care proxy. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following words and terms shall have the following meaning:
1. “Health care proxy” shall mean a document created pursuant to article 29-C of the new york state public health law which delegates the authority to another adult known as a health care agent to make health care decisions on behalf of the adult when that adult is incapacitated.
2. “Living will” shall mean a document which contains specific instructions concerning an adult’s wishes about the type of health care choices and treatments that an adult does or does not want to receive, but which does not designate an agent to make health care decisions.
b. Upon issuing a certificate of domestic partnership registration pursuant to section 3-244, the city clerk shall provide standardized copies of both a living will and a health care proxy, along with written information providing brief explanations of each.
§3. This local law shall take effect 90 days after enactment.
LS #3024
SD
5/25/05