A bill for an act relating to the authority of an attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care.

This Iowa bill (HSB 161) clarifies the authority of a person legally authorized to make health care decisions (an "attorney in fact") under a durable power of attorney for health care. It requires the attorney in fact to prioritize the principal's (the person granting authority) expressed wishes, whether documented in the power of attorney, in a life-sustaining procedures declaration, or communicated directly to them. The bill specifically states that verbal wishes shared with others or written in other documents do not limit the attorney's authority unless explicitly stated in the power of attorney itself. It also clarifies that life-sustaining procedures declarations do not prevent the withdrawal of hydration or nutrition when medically necessary via parenteral or intubation methods.