Requires health care representative to make health care decisions for incapacitated patient in accordance with patient's religious beliefs.

This New Jersey bill amends the existing Advance Directives for Health Care Act to require health care representatives making decisions for incapacitated patients to consider the patient's religious beliefs alongside the patient's best interests. It directly affects patients who have appointed a health care representative through an advance directive but lack decision-making capacity. The key change adds "in accordance with the patient’s religious beliefs" to the current standard where representatives must decide based on what the patient would have wanted or in their best interests. The amendment does not override existing requirements for informed consent or the representative's duty to act in good faith. The bill is currently awaiting review by the Assembly Health Committee.