AMA Joins Twenty Organizations in Brief to Save the Texas Advance Directives Act

A large group of healthcare and other associations has filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court of Texas to review the massive Court of Appeals decision questioning the constitutionality of the Texas Advance Directives Act.

The most fundamental problem with the amici's argument is on page 10 where they concede "the limited role that the statute provides for courts." Dispute resolution under TADA is not consensual arbitration. The State of Texas has literally deputized the Cook Children's Medical Center ethics committee to resolve a life and death conflict that otherwise would have been adjudicated by the Tarrant County District Court.

The amici include:

1. Texas Alliance for Life
2. Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops
3. Texans for Life Coalition
4. Coalition of Texans with Disabilities,
5. Children’s Hospital Association of Texas
6. Catholic Health Association of Texas
7. Texas Nurses Association
8. Texas Alliance for Patient Access
9. American Academy of Pediatrics
10. Texas Pediatric Society
11. American Medical Association
12. Texas Medical Association
13. Texas Osteopathic Medical Association
14. Texas Hospital Association
15. Leadingage Texas 
16. Tarrant County Medical Society
17. Dallas County Medical Society
18. Baylor Scott and White Health
19. Texas Children’s Hospital
20. Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals