Legislative Session - Week 1 Report

March 7-11, 2005

Catholic Days at the Capital:

• Florida Catholic Conference Conducts Annual Legislative Briefing at Civic Center - Key Issues Discussed

• Senator Mike Fasano and Representative Aaron Bean Honored with Defensor Vitae Awards at March 9 Luncheon 

• 30th Annual Red Mass of the Holy Spirit Celebrated March 10 by Florida Bishops

    Read Bishop Barbarito’s Homily

Legislative Updates:

• House Health Care Regulation Committee Amends Nutrition &    Hydration Bill

HB 701 (Baxley), which establishes a presumption that incompetent persons have directed health care providers to provide nutrition and hydration to sustain life, was taken up and amended by the House Health Care regulation Committee this week.  Language of the bill now includes that the presumption for nutrition and hydration would not hold when their provision: 1) is not medically possible; 2) would hasten death; 3) would itself cause severe pain or medical harm; or, 4) when death is imminent.  It would also not apply when a person has executed an advanced directive authorizing withholding or withdrawal of nutrition or hydration, nor when there is "clear and convincing evidence" that a person while competent expressly authorized withholding of nutrition and hydration. This bill if passed will impact the Terri Schiavo case.  It is scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday afternoon.

Florida Catholic Conference
 201 W. Park Avenue * Tallahassee, FL * 32301-7715
Phone (850) 222-3803 * Fax (850) 681-9548