2020 New York Laws
PBH - Public Health
Article 29-C - Health Care Agents and Proxies
2982 - Rights and Duties of Agent.

Universal Citation: NY Pub Health L § 2982 (2020)

§ 2982. Rights and duties of agent. 1. Scope of authority. Subject to any express limitations in the health care proxy, an agent shall have the authority to make any and all health care decisions on the principal's behalf that the principal could make. Such authority shall be subject to the provisions of section twenty-nine hundred eighty-nine of this article.

2. Decision-making standard. After consultation with a licensed physician, registered nurse, licensed psychologist, licensed master social worker, or a licensed clinical social worker, the agent shall make health care decisions: (a) in accordance with the principal's wishes, including the principal's religious and moral beliefs; or (b) if the principal's wishes are not reasonably known and cannot with reasonable diligence be ascertained, in accordance with the principal's best interests; provided, however, that if the principal's wishes regarding the administration of artificial nutrition and hydration are not reasonably known and cannot with reasonable diligence be ascertained, the agent shall not have the authority to make decisions regarding these measures.

3. Right to receive information. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the agent shall have the right to receive medical information and medical and clinical records necessary to make informed decisions regarding the principal's health care.

4. Priority over other surrogates. Health care decisions by an agent on a principal's behalf pursuant to this article shall have priority over decisions by any other person, except as otherwise provided in the health care proxy or in subdivision five of section two thousand nine hundred eighty-three of this article.


Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. New York may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.