Texas legislators fighting futile-care law fear roadblock

AP/Dallas Morning News, May 11, 2009

Those who want to extend the time some Texas hospital patients may live before their life support is cut off are worried that their proposal is running into a wall at the Capitol. Legislation by Texas Rep. Bryan Hughes would require life-sustaining treatment to continue for patients whose condition is deemed futile by doctors until a transfer to another medical facility can be arranged, if their family requests it. Currently, hospitals can stop life support after 10 days in certain cases if the patient is terminally or irreversibly ill and cannot express treatment wishes.