Kansas Lawmakers Debate End-of-Life Treatment for Children

Kansas senators have given first-round approval to a proposal aimed at giving parents of vulnerable children a say in end-of-life treatment.

The so-called "Simon's Law" would require hospitals to obtain written parental or guardian consent for children under 18 years old before issuing a do-not-resuscitate order, or depriving children of food or medicine needed to survive.

The proposal also requires health facilities, nursing homes and physicians to offer patients a written disclosure of policies that are either life-sustaining or nonbeneficial to their situation.

Sen. Jacob LaTurner, a Pittsburg Republican, spoke in favor of the bill during a debate Monday. He spoke of an incident in Missouri in which a baby named Simon was given a do-not-resuscitate order without his parents' knowledge.