2016 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 24 - Health and Safety
Article 7A - Uniform Health-Care Decisions
Section 24-7A-13 - Effect of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act.
24-7A-13. Effect of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act.
A. The Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act does not create a presumption concerning the intention of an individual who has not made or who has revoked an advance health-care directive.
B. Death resulting from the withholding or withdrawal of health care in accordance with the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act does not for any purpose:
(1) constitute a suicide, a homicide or other crime; or
(2) legally impair or invalidate a governing instrument, notwithstanding any term of the governing instrument to the contrary. "Governing instrument" means a deed, will, trust, insurance or annuity policy, account with POD (payment on death designation), security registered in beneficiary form (TOD), pension, profit-sharing, retirement, employment or similar benefit plan, instrument creating or exercising a power of appointment or a dispositive, appointive or nominative instrument of any similar type.
C. The Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act does not authorize mercy killing, assisted suicide, euthanasia or the provision, withholding or withdrawal of health care, to the extent prohibited by other statutes of this state.
D. The Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act does not authorize or require a health-care provider or health-care institution to provide health care contrary to generally accepted health-care standards applicable to the health-care provider or health-care institution.
E. The Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act does not authorize an agent or surrogate to consent to the admission of an individual to a mental health-care facility. If the individual's written advance health-care directive expressly permits treatment in a mental health-care facility, the agent or surrogate may present the individual to a facility for evaluation for admission.
F. The Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act does not affect other statutes of this state governing treatment for mental illness of an individual admitted to a mental health-care institution.
History: Laws 1995, ch. 182, 13; 1997, ch. 168, 8.
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