This bill establishes a Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Program in Minnesota, overseen by the Commissioner of Health. The program includes:

1. POLST Registry: A statewide database to store and manage provider orders for life-sustaining treatment, ensuring that a patient’s medical treatment preferences are honored.
2. Authorized Users: Certain healthcare professionals (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, emergency medical responders, etc.) are permitted to submit and retrieve POLST orders.
3. Voluntary Participation: Patients are not required to have a POLST, and they or their legal representatives can revoke or remove their POLST from the registry at any time.
4. POLST Registry Call Center: A 24/7 service to provide access to POLST records via telephone or radio.
5. Data Protection & Privacy: All registry data is classified as private and protected under state and federal laws.
6. Immunity Provisions: Individuals acting in good faith on POLST information are granted immunity from liability.
7. Implementation Deadline: The program must be fully operational by January 1, 2026.
8. Funding: The bill allocates $500,000 for FY 2026 and $400,000 annually for subsequent years to support the registry and call center. An additional $100,000 in FY 2026 is designated for the Minnesota POLST Steering Committee to provide training and education.

This initiative aims to improve end-of-life care by ensuring that patients’ medical decisions are documented and easily accessible to healthcare providers.