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What it is

Bill proposes guaranteeing a dignified death and respecting patient wishes

Admitted step 2 of 7 · Withdrawn

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 21 February 2020. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario Socialista.

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

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000037· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The bill would recognize the rights of people at the end of life: deciding on treatments, receiving clear information, and being treated without discrimination across the country.
  2. It would let any adult put in writing their advance instructions (living will) about the care they want, appoint a representative, and change or revoke them at any time.
  3. It would recognize the right to refuse any treatment, including life support measures, even if this endangers life, without losing palliative care and pain relief.
  4. It would guarantee quality palliative care, including palliative sedation even if it shortens life, and the option to receive it at home; it would also guarantee the right to company from relatives and to spiritual care.
  5. It would set duties for health professionals: respect the patient's wishes, not impose their own beliefs, and adjust therapeutic effort to avoid futile treatment.
  6. It would require public authorities and health and social care centers to guarantee these rights, with support for families, single rooms, ethics committees to resolve disputes, and a sanctioning regime under the General Health Law.

Who it affects

  • People in a terminal or dying situation and their families: They would gain new rights: deciding on treatment, leaving advance instructions, receiving palliative care and companionship.
  • Health professionals and public and private health and social care centers: They would have to respect the patient's wishes, adjust therapeutic effort, and guarantee these rights.
  • Health authorities: They would have to guarantee the rights, provide model advance instruction forms, and evaluate the law yearly.
  • Insurers or mutual societies operating in Spain: The law would also apply to them in this area.

Words worth knowing

Instrucciones previas (living will)
A document in which an adult states in advance what care and treatments they want if they reach a point where they cannot express it.
Cuidados paliativos (palliative care)
Care aimed at relieving the pain and suffering of someone with an incurable illness, without trying to cure it.
Sedación paliativa (palliative sedation)
Giving drugs to reduce the patient's consciousness and relieve symptoms that do not respond to other treatment.
Obstinación terapéutica (therapeutic obstination)
Keeping up futile treatments that only prolong biological life with no chance of improvement, prolonging suffering.
Adecuación del esfuerzo terapéutico (adjusting therapeutic effort)
Withdrawing or not starting treatments when the illness is irreversible, while keeping palliative care.

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 withdrawn.

  1. Introduced21 February 2020Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted25 February 2020The 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 6 official steps on a timeline
Mar 2020Jun 202011. 21 February 2020: Presentación22. 25 February 2020: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 25/02/2020 hasta 28/02/202033. 25 February 2020: Calificación44. 28 February 2020: Gobierno Contestación desde 28/02/2020 hasta 29/04/202055. 29 April 2020: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 29/04/2020 hasta 02/09/202066. 2 September 2020: Concluido - (Retirado) desde 02/09/2020 hasta 07/09/2020

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?

Whoever introduced it withdrew it, or it was merged into another one. It goes no further.

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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