I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9237 
To improve end-of-life care. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 2, 2024 
Ms. BARRAGA´N introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve end-of-life care. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Compassionate Care Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—ADVANCE CARE PLANNING 
Subtitle A—Consumer Education 
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Sec. 101. Advance care planning guidelines. 
Sec. 102. National public education campaign. 
Subtitle B—Provider Education 
Sec. 111. Public provider advance care planning website. 
Sec. 112. Advance care curricula pilot program. 
Sec. 113. Development of core end-of-life care quality measures across each rel-
evant provider setting. 
Sec. 114. Continuing education for qualified health care providers. 
Subtitle C—Medicare Amendments 
Sec. 121. Permanent extension of authorization for use of telehealth to conduct 
face-to-face encounter prior to recertification of eligibility for 
hospice care. 
Sec. 122. Improvements to advance care planning through telehealth. 
TITLE II—REPORTS, RESEARCH, AND EVALUATIONS 
Sec. 201. Study and report by the Secretary regarding the establishment and 
implementation of a national uniform policy on advance direc-
tives. 
Sec. 202. Gao study and report on establishment of national advance directive 
registry; other studies. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVANCE CARE PLANNING.—The term ‘‘ad-
vance care planning’’ means the process of discus-
sion of care in the event that an individual is unable 
to make treatment decisions on their own behalf, 
clarification of related values and goals, and embodi-
ment of preferences and decision making through 
written documents and medical orders. 
(2) ADVANCE DIRECTIVE.—The term ‘‘advance 
directive’’ means a written or otherwise recorded in-
struction, such as a living will or durable power of 
attorney for health care, recognized under the law of 
the State in which it was executed (whether statu-
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tory or as recognized by the courts of the State) and 
relating to the provision of such care when the indi-
vidual is incapacitated. 
(3) CERTIFIED CHAPLAIN.—The term ‘‘certified 
chaplain’’ means a member of clergy who has met 
the requirements under the Common Qualifications 
and Competencies for Professional Chaplains and 
has is board certified by a national chaplaincy orga-
nization. 
(4) CHIP.—The term ‘‘CHIP’’ means the 
State Children’s Health Insurance Program under 
title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1397aa et seq.) 
(5) END-OF-LIFE-CARE.—The term ‘‘end-of-life 
care’’ means all aspects of care of a patient with a 
potentially fatal condition, and includes care that is 
focused on preparations for an impending death. 
(6) HEALTH CARE AGENT.—The term ‘‘health 
care agent’’ means the person, designated in a 
health care power of attorney, who is selected to 
make medical decisions on behalf of the person who 
executed such power of attorney, in the case of inca-
pacity of such person who executed the power of at-
torney. 
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(7) HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY.—The 
term ‘‘health care power of attorney’’ means a legal 
document that identifies the health care agent of the 
person executing such document. 
(8) LIVING
WILL.—The term ‘‘living will’’ 
means a written document or a video statement 
about the kinds of medical care or other care a per-
son does or does not want under certain specific con-
ditions, in the event that such person no longer is 
able to express those wishes. 
(9) MEDICAID.—The term ‘‘Medicaid’’ means 
the program established under title XIX of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). 
(10) MEDICARE.—The term ‘‘Medicare’’ means 
the program established under title XVIII of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.). 
(11) ORDERS
FOR
LIFE-SUSTAINING
TREAT-
MENT.—The term ‘‘orders for life-sustaining treat-
ment’’ means a set of portable medical orders (such 
as physician orders for life-sustaining treatment or 
similar portable medical orders) that address key 
medical decisions consistent with the patient’s goals 
of care and results from a clinical process designed 
to facilitate shared, informed medical decision-
making and communication between qualified health 
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care professionals and patients with serious, progres-
sive illness or frailty. 
(12) QUALIFIED
HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDER.— 
The term ‘‘qualified health care provider’’ means a 
medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, nurse, physi-
cian assistant, nurse practitioner, social worker, 
home health aide, palliative care professional, com-
munity health worker, community health educator, 
or individual in a similar position, as designated by 
the Secretary. 
(13) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
TITLE I—ADVANCE CARE 
PLANNING 
Subtitle A—Consumer Education 
SEC. 101. ADVANCE CARE PLANNING GUIDELINES. 
It is the sense of the Senate that, to the extent prac-
ticable, advance care planning should— 
(1) occur with an individual and such individ-
ual’s health care agent, primary clinician, other au-
thorized decisionmaker, or members of the entire 
interdisciplinary health care team; 
(2) be recorded and updated as needed; and 
(3) allow for flexible decisionmaking in the con-
text of the patient’s medical situation, in accordance 
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