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What it is

Bill proposes rights to a dignified death and respect for patient wishes

Admitted step 2 of 7 · Unfinished

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 9 September 2019. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario Ciudadanos.

Official title: Private member's bill on the rights and guarantees of the dignity of the person in the final process of their life.

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Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000045· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The bill would recognize rights for people at the end of life, such as receiving clear information about their condition, deciding on treatments, and refusing them, even if that could shorten their life.
  2. It would allow any adult to state in advance, in writing, the care they want to receive through a living will (instrucciones previas), and to appoint a representative to make sure it is followed. These instructions could be changed or revoked at any time.
  3. It would guarantee quality palliative care to everyone at the end of life, including palliative sedation even if it shortens life, and would allow this care to be provided at home if the person wishes.
  4. Hospitalized patients could be accompanied by family, loved ones or volunteers, receive spiritual care according to their beliefs, and say goodbye to loved ones if they receive palliative sedation. They would also have the right to a single room during their hospital stay.
  5. Health professionals would have to respect the patient's wishes, avoid futile treatments, and adjust the level of treatment to the patient's condition. If the patient cannot decide, an order of relatives or representatives would be consulted.
  6. Public administrations and health and social care centers would have to guarantee these rights, with support for families, ethics committees to resolve disputes, and an annual report by the Ministry of Health on how the law is applied.

Who it affects

  • People in a terminal condition or agony: They would gain new rights: information, decision-making over their treatment, palliative care, companionship, and a single room.
  • Family members and caregivers: They could accompany the patient, receive support and bereavement care, and make decisions if the patient cannot.
  • Health professionals: They would have a duty to respect the patient's wishes and avoid useless treatments that only prolong suffering.
  • Public and private health and social care centers: They would have to guarantee the rights in the bill, provide palliative care, and prepare single rooms within one year.
  • Minors at the end of life: They would have the right to age-appropriate information, to be accompanied, and to be treated by the same team.

Words worth knowing

Cuidados paliativos (palliative care)
Care aimed at controlling pain and other symptoms when the illness no longer responds to curative treatment, to achieve the best possible quality of life.
Instrucciones previas (living will)
A document in which an adult states in advance what care and treatments they do or do not want, for when they can no longer express it themselves.
Sedación paliativa (palliative sedation)
Giving drugs to reduce the patient's consciousness in order to relieve symptoms that do not respond to other treatment.
Obstinación terapéutica (therapeutic obstinacy)
Keeping up useless treatments that only prolong biological life with no chance of improvement, instead of relieving suffering.
Consentimiento informado (informed consent)
The patient's free and conscious acceptance of a treatment after receiving adequate information.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 2 of 7 steps. It reached Admitted, and today it is unfinished.

  1. Introduced9 September 2019Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted17 September 2019The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
  4. Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 5 official steps on a timeline
Sept 2019Sept 2019Sept 2019Oct 201911. 9 September 2019: Presentación22. 17 September 2019: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 17/09/2019 hasta 20/09/201933. 17 September 2019: Calificación44. 20 September 2019: Gobierno Contestación desde 20/09/2019 hasta 24/09/201955. 24 September 2019: Concluido - (Caducado) desde 24/09/2019 hasta 23/10/2019

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.

It was presented again:

Presented before in:

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

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