California Senate Bill 1088
Session 20252026
Health care decisions: life-sustaining treatment.
Active
Passed Assembly on Jun 29, 2026
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
1088
State
California
Session
20252026
Motion Text
3rd Reading
Senate Roll Call Votes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Other
Yes
Other
Yes
Summary
Existing law defines a request regarding resuscitative measures to mean a written document, signed by an individual with capacity or legally recognized health care decisionmaker and the individual's physician that directs a health care provider regarding resuscitative measures, as prescribed. Existing law includes a prehospital "do not resuscitate" form, as developed by the Emergency Medical Services Authority or other substantially similar form, and Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment form (POLST form) , as approved by the Emergency Medical Services Authority as requests regarding resuscitative measures.
This bill would replace the term "Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment" with "POLST," or "Portable Orders Listing Scope of Treatment." The bill would authorize a request regarding resuscitative measures to be entered into by an individual with capacity or a health care agent, conservator with health care decisionmaking authority, or surrogate, as defined, and a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, as specified. The bill would specify that a request regarding resuscitative measures is entirely voluntary and the provision of care or admission to a facility cannot be conditioned on completion of or refusal to complete a POLST or prehospital "do not resuscitate" order.
Existing law prescribes requirements for forms for requests regarding resuscitative measures, including, among other things, that the form be signed by the executing parties.
The bill would specify that an electronic signature, as defined, is sufficient for any signature required for a request regarding resuscitative measures.
Under this bill, a request regarding resuscitative measures executed in another state or jurisdiction that complies with the laws of that state or jurisdiction or the laws of California is considered valid and enforceable in California to the same extent as a request regarding resuscitative measures validly executed in California. The bill would specify that, in the absence of knowledge to the contrary, a physician or other health care provider may presume that a request regarding resuscitative measures, whether executed in another state or jurisdiction or in California, is valid and unrevoked.
The bill would make conforming changes.
02/13/26 - Introduced
February 13, 2026
03/17/26 - Amended Senate
March 17, 2026
06/18/26 - Amended Assembly
June 18, 2026
04/06/26- Senate Health
April 6, 2026
04/24/26- Senate Judiciary
April 24, 2026
05/01/26- Sen. Floor Analyses
May 1, 2026
06/12/26- Assembly Health
June 12, 2026
06/20/26- Assembly Judiciary
June 20, 2026
07/01/26- Sen. Floor Analyses
July 1, 2026
Sort by most recent
06/30/2026
Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
06/29/2026
Assembly
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.
06/24/2026
Assembly
Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.
06/23/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 23).
06/18/2026
Assembly
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
06/17/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 16).
05/26/2026
Assembly
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
05/19/2026
Assembly
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
05/18/2026
Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0.) Ordered to the Assembly.
04/30/2026
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
04/29/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 4085.) (April 28).
04/10/2026
Senate
Set for hearing April 28.
04/09/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3793.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
03/23/2026
Senate
Set for hearing April 8.
03/19/2026
Senate
March 25 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
03/17/2026
Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
03/09/2026
Senate
Set for hearing March 25.
02/26/2026
Senate
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
02/17/2026
Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 16.
02/13/2026
Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Feb 14, 2026 8:33:58 AM
Record Updated
Jul 2, 2026 9:38:35 AM