North Carolinians could use their driver's licenses to tell doctors that they have a living will under a bill approved by the Senate Thursday.
The legislation, sponsored by Union County Republican Sen. Eddie Goodall, would allow driver's license holders to indicate on their license whether they have a living will on file with the Secretary of State.
That would alert doctors who might be treating license holders that they have left specific instructions as to whether to keep them alive with life support devices.
The bill is called the Terri Schiavo Act, named after the Florida woman at the center of a seven-year legal battle by her husband to disconnect her from life support after she was diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state. In 2005, her feeding tube was removed and she died of dehydration.
Comments
Re: Living will on driver's license
May 14, 2009 - 11:03am — RobSchofieldActually, it appears the bill isn't called the Schiavo Act anymore. The short title now reads "Advanced Directives on Drivers License." Seems like a logical improvement.
Re: Living will on driver's license
May 14, 2009 - 10:29am — PlaybyPlayWhy not go further and put some medical history on licenses. Like allergies to certain drugs like penicillin. The barcode on the back can carry a lot of info.