Simon's Laws - Strong v. Weak Varieties

More state legislatures are considering Simon's Law. Bills are pending in Idaho (H.B. 519), Michigan (H.B. 5476), and other states.

But a closer look at the bills and statutes (in Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, and other states) shows that there are two fundamental varieties of Simon's Law.

1. The weaker form is exclusively informational. It requires only that clinicians notify parents about a DNAR order for a minor.

2. The stronger form is prohibitory. It disallows clinicians from writing a DNAR order for a minor when the parents object.