NY Pub Health L § 2994-R (2021)
2021 New York Laws PBH - Public Health Article 29-CC - Family Health Care Decisions Act 2994-R - Special Proceeding Authorized; Court Orders; Health Care Guardian for Minor Patient.

§  2994-r.  Special  proceeding  authorized; court orders; health care guardian for minor patient. 1. Special proceeding. Any person  connected with the case and any member of the hospital ethics review committee may commence  a  special  proceeding  pursuant  to article four of the civil practice law and rules in a court of competent jurisdiction with respect to any matter arising under this article.   2.  Court  orders  designating  surrogate.  A   court   of   competent jurisdiction may designate any individual from the surrogate list to act as  surrogate,  regardless of that individual's priority on the list, if the court determines that such appointment would best  accord  with  the patient's  wishes  or, if the patient's wishes are not reasonably known, with the patient's best interests. The court may remove a  surrogate  on the  ground that the surrogate: (a) is not reasonably available, willing and competent to fulfill his or her obligations under this article;  (b) is  acting in bad faith; or (c) is the subject of an order of protection protecting the patient or has been arrested or charged  for  a  criminal act   that   allegedly   caused   the  patient's  lack  of  capacity  or substantially injured or impaired the  health  status  of  the  patient, provided that the application of this provision in a particular case may be  waived  or  modified  in  the  interest of justice. Unless otherwise determined by a court, no surrogate decision  made  prior  to  an  order designating  a surrogate shall be deemed to have been invalid because of the issuance of a designating order.   3. Court orders to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining  treatment.  A court  of  competent  jurisdiction  may  authorize  the  withholding  or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment  from  a  person  if  the  court determines   that   the   person  lacks  decision-making  capacity,  and withdrawing or withholding the treatment would accord with the standards set  forth  in  subdivision  five   of   section   twenty-nine   hundred ninety-four-d of this article.   4.  Health care guardian for a minor patient. (a) No appointment shall be made pursuant to this subdivision if a parent or  legal  guardian  of the  person  is  available,  willing,  and  competent  to  decide  about treatment for the minor.  (b) The following persons may commence a special proceeding in a court of competent  jurisdiction  to  seek  appointment  as  the  health  care guardian  of  a  minor  patient solely for the purpose of deciding about life-sustaining treatment pursuant to this article:  (i) the hospital administrator;  (ii) an attending practitioner;  (iii)  the  local  commissioner  of  social  services  or  the   local commissioner  of  health, authorized to make medical treatment decisions for the minor pursuant to section three hundred  eighty-three-b  of  the social services law; or  (iv)  an  individual,  eighteen years of age or older, who has assumed care of the minor for a substantial and continuous period of time.  (c) Notice of the proceeding shall be given to the persons  identified in  section  seventeen  hundred  five of the surrogate's court procedure act.  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, seeking appointment or being appointed as a health care guardian shall not otherwise affect the legal status or rights of  the  individual  seeking  or  obtaining  such appointment.